Jamuna River
A Map showing major rivers in Bangladesh including Jamuna.
Not to be confused with the Yamuna River.
The Jamuna River (Bangla: যমুনা Jomuna) is one of the three main rivers of Bangladesh. It is the main channel of the Brahmaputra River when it flows out of India into Bangladesh. The Jamuna flows south, ending its independent existence as it joins the Padma River (Pôdda) near Goalundo Ghat. Merged with the Padma (Pôdda), it meets the Meghna River near Chandpur. Its waters then flow into the Bay of Bengal as the Meghna River.[1]
The river's average depth is 395 feet (120 m) and maximum depth is 1,088 feet (332 m).[citation needed]
The Jamuna was a barrier in establishing a direct road link between capital Dhaka and northern part of Bangladesh better known as Rajshahi Division until 1996. This was mitigated by the completion of the Jamuna Multi-Purpose Bridge.[2]
The great multipurpose bridge
Notes
^ Traditionally, in British publications the result of the three rivers coming together was called the Ganges. See, e.g. "Surma River" Encyclopedia Britannica
^
Akhter, Farida (2005) "Japan ODA: Cause of river erosion, displacement and environmental destruction in Bangladesh?" The Reality of Aid: Asia-Pacific pp. 63-75
Padma River
A Map showing major rivers in Bang
ladesh including Padma.
This article is about the river. For other uses, see Padma (disambiguation).
The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা Pôdda) is a major trans-boundary river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges (Bengali: গঙ্গা Gôngga), which originates in the Himalaya. The Padma enters Bangladesh from India near Chapai Nababganj. It meets the Jamuna (Bengali: যমুনা Jomuna) near Aricha and retains its name, but finally meets with the Meghna (Bengali: মেঘনা) near Chandpur and adopts the name 'Meghna' before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
Rajshahi, a major city in western Bangladesh, is situated on the north bank of the Padma. It's maximum depth is 1,571 feet (479 m) and average depth is 968 feet (295 m).
Course
Originated in the Gangotri Glacier of the Himalaya, the Ganges runs to the Bay of Bengal through India, entering Bangladesh at Shibganj in the district of Chapai Nababganj. Just west of Shibganj, the distributary Bhagirathi emerges and flows southwards as the Hooghly. After the point where the Bhagirathi branches off, the Ganges is officially referred to as the Padma and the river Bhagirathi uses the name of Ganga. Later the Britishers started calling Bhagirathi as Hoogly river.
Boat on Padma River
Further downstream, in Goalando, 2200 km away from the source, the Padma is joined by the mighty Jamuna (Lower Brahmaputra) and the resulting combination flows with the name Padma further east, to Chandpur. Here, the widest river in Bangladesh, the Meghna, joins the Padma, continuing as the Meghna almost in a straight line to the south, ending in the Bay of Bengal.
Mythology
River Padma in Rainy Season
The Padma is numerously mentioned in Hindu
Mythology including the Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In all myths, the river is mentioned as a Goddess though the origin differs.
In Valmiki's Ramayana, Ganga (Sanskrit for Ganges) is described as the daughter of Lord Himalaya and Menaka who was abducted to the heavens by the deities and started to live in heaven from then, inside Karmandala, a spout shaped vessel.
In Vishnu
Purana, Ganga is said to be issued from the toe of Lord Vishnu's left foot. And was falling down. The pole star caught her in the middle of descent and kept her on his head round the clock.
Most myths agree on the incident how Ganga came down to earth.. By a special favour of Lord Shiva, King Sagara had sixty thousand sons, all of who were burnt into ashes as they disturbed the Mighty Kapila in his meditation. King Sagara, being informed by the heavenly wanderer Narada, sent his grandson Ansuman to Kapila to ask for his mercy. Kapila granted that the souls of the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara can be retrieved, but only by the mighty waters of the Ganga. Ansuman's grandson Bhagiratha approached Ganga and made her agree to come down. To balance such great force of impact of Ganga falling to earth from heavens, Lord Shiva used his matted hair.
Buriganga River
| Buriganga River | |
A launch sails from Sadarghat on the Buriganga | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Major city | Dhaka |
| Discharge at | Dhaleshwari River |
| Source | Dhaleshwari River |
In the distant past, a course of the Ganges river used to reach the Bay of Bengal through the Dhaleshwari river. This course gradually shifted and ultimately lost its link with the main channel of the Ganges and was renamed as the Buriganga. It is said that the water levels during high and low tides in this river astonished the Mughals.The water tables even is very astonishing due to pollution of polythenes deposited beneath water. The materials from breaking of buildings of the river banks also add hazardous substances in the river.
The course of the Padma has changed considerably during the period 1600 to 2000 AD. It is difficult to trace accurately the various channels through which it has flowed. The probability is that it flowed past Rampur Boalia, through Chalan Beel, the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers, past Dhaka into the Meghna estuary. In the 18th century, the lower course of the river flowed further south. About the middle of the 19th century the main volume of the channel flowed through this southern channel which came to be known as Kirtinasa. Gradually the Padma adopted its present course.[1]
Economic significance
The Buriganga is economically very important to Dhaka. Launches and Country Boats provide connection to the other parts of Bangladesh, a largely riverine country. Due to siltation, large steamers can no longer go through the river channel in the dry season. In 1989, a bridge (the Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge) was built over the river for vehicles and pedestrians. In 2001, a second bridge over the river was built at Babubazar for vehicles and pedestrians.
Problems
The Buriganga is threatened by pollution and possession.
Unfortunately, the river is Dhaka's main outlet of sewage waste. Newspaper articles in 2004 [2] indicated that up to 80% of Dhaka's sewage was untreated. A number of industries, including tanneries also discharge their chemical waste in to the river.
Waterflow in the Buriganga is low except during the monsoon season. During this flood period the river is "flushed" every year. It gets progressively worse until the next monsoons. Miraculously, when the water quality is not at its worst, River dolphins can still be seen. The Ganges River Dolphin is on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species.
Land grabbing is a serious issue in Dhaka. The Buriganga is also a casualty. River land is reclaimed and built upon. This river bed loss of course means a narrower river bed which exacerbates flooding.
In an effort to reduce flooding, the river is often dredged. Ironically, this results in the branching rivers and canals drying up, which are subjected to further land grabbing.
Organisations like 'Buriganga Bachao Andolon' (Save Buriganga) have sprung up to address these issues.
Gallery
Large launches waiting at Sadarghat on the Buriganga for different destinations in Bangladesh | A boatman sells pineapples at Sadarghat on the Buriganga | Sadarghat port on the Buriganga River, Dhaka city | Sadarghat port on the Buriganga river is an important river transport hub |
Small boats ply on the Buriganga at Sadarghat | Land reclamation on the Buriganga river dredges sand and deposits it on the floodplain. |
^ Majumdar, Dr. R.C., History of Ancient Bengal, First published 1971, Reprint 2005, pp. 3-4, Tulshi Prakashani, Kolkata, ISBN 81-89118-01-3.
^
Financial Express
Mahananda River
The Mahananda River (Bangla: মহানন্দা Môhanônda) is a river the originates in the district of Darjeeling in West Bengal in the Himalayas. It flows through northern part of West Bengal, Bihar in India and Bangladesh. It again enters India in the Malda district of West Bengal before entering into Bangladesh to join the Ganges near the town of Chapai Nawabganj. This river is mainly fed by rainwater. During summer or winter it has very low water level and during monsoon it carries large amount of rainwater often causing floods. Some major places by the side of the river are Siliguri and Malda both in West Bengal, India.
In Bangladesh this rivers total length is 36 km.
The Kosi (Kausiki), which now flows through the north-eastern Bihar and joins the Ganges at a point much higher up than Rajmahal, originally ran eastward and fell into the Brahmaputra. The channel of the Kosi, therefore, must have been steadily shifting towards the west, right across the whole breadth of North Bengal. There was a time when the Kosi and the Mahananda joined the Karatoya and formed a sort of ethnic boundary between people living south of it and the Kochs and Kiratas living north of the river.[1]
References
^ Majumdar, Dr. R.C., History of Ancient Bengal, First published 1971, Reprint 2005, p. 4, Tulshi Prakashani, Kolkata, ISBN 81-89118-01-3
.
Karatoya River
Karatoya River (also spelt Korotoa) (Bengali: করতোয়া নদী), a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, was once a large and sacred river. A channel of it presently flows by the ancient ruins of Mahasthangarh (or Pundranagara, ancient capital of Pundravardhana) in Bogra District. The Karatoya mahatmya bears testimony to its past greatness.[1]In the Mahabharata it is mentioned that a visit to the Karatoya after three days' fast produces the same merit as an aswamedha (horse killing) sacrifice.[2] Another ancient city, Sravasti, may have been located on the banks of the Karatoya, north of Mahasthangarh. However, there is a controversy about the possible location of Sravasti.[3]
The name of the river is formed of two Bengali words kar (hand) and toa (water), signifying, in Hindu mythology, that the river was formed by the water which was poured on the hands of Shiva, when he married Parvati.[4]
Changes in the course of rivers
Great changes have taken place in the course of some of the rivers in Bengal and the adjoining areas, during the period since 1500 AD. Although positive evidence is lacking, similar changes can be assumed in the remoter past. The Karatoya is one of the rivers that has changed over the years.[1]
The map (right) shows the main rivers in North Bengal and adjoining areas. Not shown are numerous tributaries and distributaries, which connect the main rivers, and allow the main rivers to change course. Therefore, the river-system pattern undergoes continuous changes. Such changes have not been reflected in the map. Moreover, many of the rivers have local names for sections of the course, adding to the complexity of the river system.
Tectonic disturbances have broken up the Karatoya into four distinct parts. The northern part, called the Dinajpur-Karatoya, is the main source of the Atrai. It rises in a marsh in Baikanthapur in Jalpaiguri district, but also receives water from underground streams. In Khansama upazila its name changes to Atrai. In a second section, the Dinajpur-Karatoya was connected with the Rangpur-Karatoya north of Khansama, but very little water now passes down that channel. The upper part of Rangpur-Karatoya originates in the Jalpaiguri district and is known as the Deonai-Jamuneshwari up to Gobindaganj upazila. In a third section, the Jamuneshwari-Karatoya flows south-southeast to Gobindaganj upazila, where the main stream turns east through the Katakhali and falls into the Bangali River. The portion of the former river passing through Shibganj upazila is dry most of the year. It effectively separates the Rangpur-Karatoya from the Bogra-Karatoya, which flows south past Bogra town till it joins the Bangali to make Phuljhor river, which falls into the Hoorasagar. The fourth part, the Pabna-Karatoya, is a moribund river bed near Handial. Various other channels are also pointed out as parts of the Old Karatoya.[4]
No comments:
Post a Comment