West Bengal

Location and extent
West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the
Bay of Bengal in the south. It lies between 85 degree 50 minutes and 89 degree 50 minutes east
longitude, and ! degrees "8 minutes and # degrees !0 minutes north latitude.
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&he state has a
total area of 88,#5 s'uare kilometres ("),*# s' mi+.
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With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern
border, the state forms the ethno,linguistic region of Bengal. &o its northeast lie the states of
-ssam and .ikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of /rissa. &o the west it
borders the state of 0harkhand and Bihar, and to the northwest, 1e2al. &he ca2ital of the state is
3olkata, the third,largest urban agglomeration and the third,largest city in India.
Political geography
&here are !9 districts and " di4isions in West Bengal. &he Burdwan 5i4ision consists of Bankura,
Bardhaman, Birbhum, 6ast 7idna2ore, West 7idna2ore, Hooghly and 8urulia 5istrict, the
0al2aiguri 5i4ision consists of 1orth 5ina92ur, 5akshin 5ina92ur, :ooch Behar, 5ar9eeling,
0al2aiguri and 7alda, and the 8residency 5i4ision consists of 3olkata, 7urshidabad, 1adia, 1orth
) 8arganas, .outh ) 8arganas and Howrah.
6ach district is go4erned by a district collector or district magistrate, a22ointed either by the Indian
-dministrati4e .er4ice or the West Bengal :i4il .er4ice. 6ach district is subdi4ided into .ub,
5i4isions, go4erned by a sub,di4isional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of
2anchayats (4illage councils+ and town munici2alities
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/ften the districts north of the ;anges i.e.,
:ooch Behar, 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri, 1orth 5ina92ur, .outh 5ina92ur and 7alda are together
termed as 1orth Bengal.
&he ca2ital and largest city of the state is 3olkata < the third,largest urban agglomeration
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and the
se4enth,largest city
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in India.-sansol is the second largest city = urban agglomeration in West
Bengal after 3olkata.
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.iliguri is an economically im2ortant city, strategically located in the
northeastern .iliguri :orridor (:hicken>s 1eck+ of India. /ther ma9or cities and towns in West
Bengal are Howrah, 5urga2ur, ?anigan9, Haldia, 0al2aiguri, 3harag2ur, Burdwan, 5ar9eeling,
7idna2ore, and 7alda.
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Landforms
Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
5ar9eeling Himalayan hill region is situated on the 1orth,Western side of the state. &his region
belongs to the 6astern Himalaya range. &he whole of the 5ar9eeling district e@ce2t the .iliguri
di4ision and a narrow 2art in the northern 2art of 0al2aiguri district constitutes the region. It starts
abru2tly u2 from the &erai region. &he dee2 gorge of &eesta ?i4er has di4ided this mountainous
region into two 2artsA the .ingalila and 5ar9eeling ranges run from north to south in the western
2art. &he .ingalila range is located along the border of 5ar9eeling and 1e2alB it has four im2ortant
2eaks < .andakfu, Calut, .abargam and &onglu. -mong the Himalayan ranges of this region,
.ingalila range hosts .andakfu which at ",*"* metres (!!,99 ft+ is the highest 2oint of West
Bengal.-lso to mention .andak2hu = 8halut are the only 2lace in West Bengal from where 7t.
64erest is 4isible. &wo high 2eaks, &iger Hill and ;hoom are seen near the town of 5ar9eeling.
7any ranges branch off in different directions from &iger Hill. 5ur2indara is an im2ortant mountain
in the eastern 2art of the mountainous region. - few hills also occur in the &erai or 5ooars region
at the foot of the Himalayas. .ome remnants of the .iwaliks can be seen in the 0al2aiguri district,
where they are known as the Bu@a,0ayanti Hills.
Terai region
&he DD&eraiEE (Fmoist landF+ is a belt of marshy grasslands, sa4annas, and forests at the base of the
Himalaya range stretching southwards to about "8 km. -bo4e the &erai belt lies the Bhabhar, a
forested belt of rock, gra4el, and soil eroded from the Himalayas. &he &erai Gone is com2osed of
alternate layers of clay and sand, with a high water table that creates many s2rings and wetlands.
&he &erai Gone is inundated yearly by the monsoon,swollen ri4ers of the Himalaya. &he Terai-
Duar savanna and grasslands is an ecoregion that stretches across the middle of the &erai belt.
&he &erai,5uar sa4anna and wetlands are a mosaic of tall grasslands, sa4annas and e4ergreen
and deciduous forests. &he &erai and 5ooars region 2olitically constitute the 2lains of 5ar9eeling
5istrict, whole of 0al2aiguri 5istrict and u22er region of :ooch Behar 5istrict in West Bengal. &he
slo2e of the land is gentle, from north to south. &he general height of the land is 80 to !00 m. &he
entire region is made u2 of sand, gra4el and 2ebbles laid down by the Himalayan ri4ers like the
&eesta, &orsa, ?aidak, 0aldhaka, .ankosh and se4eral other small ri4ulets. &he &eesta has
di4ided the area into two 2arts, the western 2art is known as the &erai whereas the eastern 2art is
known as the 5ooars or 5uars. &he 5ooars region can be further subdi4ided into the .iliguri or
Western 5ooars, the middle or 0al2aiguri 5ooars and the eastern or -li2ur 5ooars.
North Bengal plains
1orth Bengal 2lain start from the south of &erai region and continues u2 to the left bank of the
;anges. &he southern 2arts of the district 0al2aiguri, 1orth 5ina92ur baring some e@treme northern
regions, .outh 5ina92ur, 7alda and southern 2art of :ooch Behar districts constitute this
geogra2hical region. &he narrow land mass in the 1orth 5ina92ur district is known as 7ahananda
:orridor. &his corridor runs north to south 9oining 7alda with the 2lains of 0al2aiguri and :ooch
Behar. &he entire 2art of 1orth and .outh 5ina92ur is silt laden 2lain.
7ahananda ?i4er di4ides the district of 7alda into two 2arts. &he eastern 2art consists of
undulating 2lains and some tilas and is made u2 of old allu4ium and is a 2art of the ;anges delta.
It is also known as Barind or Barendrabhumi. In contrast to the eastern 2art, the western 2art is
made u2 of new allu4ium and in this 2art ?i4er 3alindi 9oins the 7ahananda ?i4er. &he 2art of
7alda lying to the north of ri4er 3alindi is known as tal. &his is a lowland and co4ered with swam2s
and beels (small water bodies+. Whereas the area south of the 3alindi is a 4ery fertile land and is
known as diara.
&he 2lain in the south of 0al2aiguri and :ooch Behar district is also made of new allu4ium
de2osited by numerous ri4ers like the &eesta, &orsa, ?aidak, 0aldhaka, .ankosh, Balason,
8unarbhaba, -trai and se4eral other small ri4ulets.
Rarh region
?arh is the region that inter4enes between the Ha99abhumi and the ;anges 5elta. 8arts of the
districts 7urshidabad, Birbhum, Bankura, Bardhaman and 7edini2ur constitute this region. &he
region is about 50 to !00 m abo4e the sea le4el. &his region is belie4ed to be created from the soil
from the 5eccan 2lateau. &he area is formed by the silt brought by the tributaries of Bhagirathi,
7ayurakshi ?i4er, -9ay ?i4er, 5amodar and ?u2narayan ?i4er which flow o4er the western
2lateau region made u2 of laterite soil make the soil of the area red in colour. &he land slo2e is
from west to the south,east and formation of natural le4ees along the ri4er banks is a common
2henomenon.
Coastal plain
- small coastal region is on the e@treme south of the state. - 2art of the district of 8urba 7edini2ur
along the Bay of Bengal constitutes the coastal 2lain. &his emergent coastal 2lain is made u2 of
sand and mud de2osited by ri4ers and by wind. 8arallel to the coast are colonies of sand dunes
and marshy areas. &he 5igha dune lies nearest to the Bay of Bengal while the 3anthi dune is the
farthest from it. In some areas dunes occur at a distance of !5<!* km from the coast and are !!<
! m high.
Sunderans
&he Sundarans delta is the largest mangro4e forest in the world situated in the .outh )
8arganas district. It lies at the mouth of the ;anges and is s2read across areas of Bangladesh and
West Bengal, India. &he Bangladeshi and Indian 2ortions of the 9ungle are listed in the I16.:/
world heritage list se2arately as the .undarbans and .undarbans 1ational 8ark res2ecti4ely,
though they are 2arts of the same forest. &he .undarbans are intersected by a com2le@ network of
tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt,tolerant mangro4e forests, and 2resents an
e@cellent e@am2le of ongoing ecological 2rocesses. &he general a4erage height of the area is !0
m. &his area has been created by de2osition of silt by its numerous ri4ers namely, Hoogly, 7atla
?i4er, 0amira ?i4er, ;osaba ?i4er, .a2tamukhi ?i4er, Haribhanga ?i4er and their tributaries. &he
formation of the delta is an ongoing 2rocess and new bars and islands are being created along the
ri4ers and at the ri4er mouth. - large section of the area remains under water during incoming
times.
&he area is known for its wide range of fauna. &he most famous among these is the ?oyal Bengal
&iger, but numerous s2ecies of birds, s2otted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. It is
estimated that there are now )00 Bengal tigers and about "0,000 s2otted deer in the area.
!estern plateau and high lands
&he Western 2lateau and highlands forms the eastern fringes of the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau and is
made u2 of igneous rocks of the -rchaean era as well as coal,bearing mudstone and 'uartGite
rocks of :arboniferous 2eriod. &he western 2art of 8urulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Bardhaman and
8aschim 7edini2ur district constitutes this area. Because of long and continuous erosion, the
whole region has been transformed into an undulating 2ene2lain. &his area is inters2ersed by
small monadnocks locally known as tila. .ome of the im2ortant hills in the area include -9odhya
Hills (**# m+, 8anchet and Baghmundi of 8urulia, Biharinath ()5 m+ and .usunia ()) m+ of
Bankura. &he area has a slo2e from the west to the east. &he altitude in the area ranges from 500
to !00 m. ;orgaburu in the -yodhya Hills (*## m+ is the highest 2oint in the region.
"anges delta
&he ;anges delta consists of the whole of 7urshidabad district, 1adia, 3olkata, Hooghly, and
Howrah and the northern 2art of 1orth and .outh ) 8arganas. ?i4er ;anges 2asses through this
4ast area and di4ides into three distinct 2arts < the old delta, the mature delta and the acti4e delta.
&he old delta consists of the districts of 7urshidabad and 1adia. &he formation of delta is
com2lete and the ri4ers here are hea4ily silted and many ha4e e4en dried u2 in due course of time.
.ilted ri4ers, swam2s, beels and o@bow lakes forms the area. &his area is also known as Bagri
region.&he districts of 3olkata, Hooghly, and Howrah and 2art of 1orth ) 8arganas form mature
delta region. &he ri4ers are slow and meandering and fre'uently shift their courses. .wam2s,
beels and o@bow lakes characterises the scenery. &he northern 2ortion of .outh ) 8arganas
district is known to be the acti4e delta of the ;anges, where the formation of delta is still an
ongoing 2rocess.
#gro$climatic groups
-griculture is leading occu2ation in the state. .hown here are freshly sown sa2lings of 2addyB in
the background are stacks of 9ute sticks
5e2ending on soil and climate 4ariations, West Bengal can be di4ided into si@ broad di4isionsA
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&he hill region in the north
&he terai and &eesta allu4ial region of 1orth Bengal
&he laterectic, red and gra4ely undulating region in the west
&he coastal allu4ial region in the south
&he gangetic allu4ial region in the west
&he Hindhya allu4ial region in the centre
Ri%ers
;anges enters West Bengal near ?a9mahal and then flows in a south,easterly direction. It di4ides
into two near north of 5hulian in 7urshidabad district.
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/ne branch enters Bangladesh as the
Padma or Pdda, while the other flows through West Bengal as the Bhagirathi ?i4er and Hooghly
?i4er in a southern direction. &he Bhagirathi is the main ri4er in West Bengal which flows 2ast
some of the im2ortant cities like 7urshidabad, Baharam2ur, 1abadwi2, :hinsura, :handannagar,
.riram2ur, Howrah, 3olkata, 5iamond Harbour and Haldia. It em2ties its water into Bay of Bengal
near .agar Island in the .outh ) 8arganas.
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&he 7ayurakshi, -9ay, 5amodar, 3angsabati, ?u2narayan and their tributaries which rise in the
Western 2lateau and high lands flow eastwards through the different districts of West Bengal and
9oins the Bhagirathi on the right bank.
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&he 7ayurakshi, which is fed by tributaries Brahmani,
5warka, Bakreshwar and 3o2ai 9oins the Bhagirathi near 3alna, the -9ay, which rises in the hills of
Bihar, 9oined by the 3unur, flows down the 2lateau fringe, marking the boundary between
Bardhaman and Birbhum districts 9oins it near 3atwa and 5amodar, with its small meandering
distributaries, small streams, 3hari, Banka and Behula 9oins the Bhagirathi near Iluberia. &he
5amodar is known as the sorrow of Bengal, is now controlled by making the 5amodar Halley
8ro9ect. &he 5warakeswar and .hilabati ri4ers 9oin to form ?u2narayan and the 3angsabati and
3eleghai ri4ers 9oin to form the Haldi.
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&he ?u2narayan and Haldi fall into the Bhagirathi in the
7urshidabad district. &he .ubarnarekha ?i4er after flowing for a short distance in West Bengal
reenters into /rissa. &hese ri4ers carry with them 2lenty of water thus kee2ing the Bhagirathi ri4er
submerged with water throughout the year. &he ri4ers along with water carry silt and sand eroded
from the western 2lateaus and de2osits them in the Bhagirathi and the ri4ers themsel4es. &his
silting is causing great incon4enience for the 3olkata 8ort and often result flooding in the years of
hea4y rain.
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&he distributaries of the 8adma ?i4er like Bhairab, 0alangi, 7athabhanga ?i4er and their
tributaries enters West Bengal and 9oins the Bhagirathi on its left bank.
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&he Bhairab and the
0alangi meet and their 9oined waters known as 0alangi falls into Bhagirathi. &he 7athabhanga
di4ides into branches namelyB :hurni and Ichhamati, while the :hurni meets the Bhagirathi while
the other flows southwards and 9oins the 3alindi.
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&he .underbans region is co4ered by numerous estuaries and streams, mainly distributaries of
main ri4ers. &he ri4ers are interconnected and are fed by tidal waters. &he ma9or ri4ers of the area
are Hoogly, 7atla, ;osaba, .a2tamukhi, Haribhanga, 8iyali, &hakuranJ 0amira, ?aimangal, 3alindi
and Ichhamati.
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&he &eesta flows cutting dee2 gorges from north to south in the mountainous 5ar9eeling district, it
enters the 2lains at .e4oke and flows in a mighty stream on straight line towards the south east
until it 2ours its waters into the Brahama2utra in Bangladesh.
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&orsa, 0aldhaka, 3al9ani, ?aidak,
.ankosh and 7ahananda ri4ers are in the northern hilly region which rise in the Himalayas and
flow in a southerly direction through the districts of 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri, :ooch Behar and 1orth
and .outh 5ina92ur and enters Bangladesh. -s most of the ri4ers are snow fed, so most of the
ri4ers are 2erennial in nature and often floods during the rainy season.
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&he entire region is made
u2 of sand, gra4el and 2ebbles laid down by these ri4ers.
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&he 7ahananda rises from the 5ow
Hills forest, near the town of 5ar9eeling and are fed by similar small ri4ers like, 7ahanadi, Balason,
and 7achi and runs in a Gig,Gag way through the district of 7alda and 9oins the 8adma in
Bangladesh. In the central region, the main ri4er is the 7ahananda. &he &angon and
8unarbhabha, and -trai arises in the 2lains, while the former two 9oins together and flows into
7ahanadi, -trai flows into the 8adma.
!etlands
&he .undarbans delta is the largest mangro4e forest in the world. It lies at the mouth of the
;anges and is s2read across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. &he Bangladeshi and
Indian 2ortions of the 9ungle are listed in the I16.:/ world heritage list se2arately as the
.undarbans and .undarbans 1ational 8ark res2ecti4ely, though they are 2arts of the same forest.
&he .undarbans are intersected by a com2le@ network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small
islands of salt,tolerant mangro4e forests, and 2resents an e@cellent e@am2le of ongoing ecological
2rocesses.
&he area is known for its wide range of fauna. &he most famous among these is the Bengal &iger,
but numerous s2ecies of birds, s2otted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. It is estimated
that there are now )00 Bengal tigers and about "0,000 s2otted deer in the area.
Climate
West Bengal>s climate 4aries from tro2ical sa4annah in the southern 2ortions to humid subtro2ical
in the north. &he main seasons are summer, rainy season, a short autumn, and winter. While the
summer in the delta region is noted for e@cessi4e humidity, the western highlands e@2erience a dry
summer like northern India, with the highest day tem2erature ranging from "8 K: (!00 KC+ to )5 K:
(!!" KC+.
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-t nights, a cool southerly breeGe carries moisture from the Bay of Bengal. In early
summer brief s'ualls and thunderstorms known as Fkal,baisakhiF often arri4e from the north or
northwest.
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7onsoons bring rain to the whole state from 0une to .e2tember. West Bengal
recei4es the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian ocean monsoon that mo4es in a northwest
direction. Winter (5ecember<0anuary+ is mild o4er the 2lains with a4erage minimum tem2eratures
of !5 K: (59 KC+.
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- cold and dry northern wind blows in the winter, substantially lowering the
humidity le4el. Howe4er, the 5ar9eeling Himalayan Hill region e@2eriences a harsh winter, with
occasional snowfall at 2laces.
Natural resources
West Bengal stands third in the country in terms of mineral 2roduction. &he state contributes about
one,fifth to the total 2roduction of minerals in the country.
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:oal constitutes 99L of the minerals
e@tracted in West BengalB fireclay, china clay, limestone, co22er, iron, wolfram, manganese and
dolomite are mined in small 'uantities.
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&here are good 2ossibilities of obtaining mineral oil and
natural gas in the areas near the Bay of Bengal, in 8urba 7edini2ur, .undarbans, .outh )
8arganas and 1orth Bengal 2lains.
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?esearch is undergoing for finding natural gas in 4arious
2laces.
West Bengal is the third largest state for coal 2roduction, accounting for about half of India>s total.
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:oal is e@tracted from about 8 mines in the ?anigan9 and -sansol region of Bardhaman district.
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High garde bituminous coal is mined at ?anigan9, 5ishergarh, .antaldih, 3ulti, Barakar, ;hushik,
3a9ora. :oalfields stretch o4er an area of about !,550 km
(598 s' mi+. &he coalfields of ?anigan9

su22ort the -sansol,5urga2ur industrial belt by 2ro4iding fuel to the industries as well as
generation of thermal 2ower. Mignite mined in 5ar9eeling is used to make bri'uettes. :oal de2osits
are also found along the -9oy ri4er in Birbhum district.
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West Bengal ranks ne@t to Bihar and 7adhya 8radesh in 2roduction of fireclay.
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7ost of this
mineral is e@tracted in the ?anigan9 region along with few amount is also e@tracted from Birbhum
and 8urulia. :hina clay used in the 2ottery, 2a2er, te@tile, rubber and 2aint industries are
unearthed at 7ohammad BaGar in Birbhum and 7e9ia in Bankura. ?est of the 2roduction comes
from 8urulia, Bardhaman, 5ar9eeling and 0al2aiguri. In !99",9) !.) lakh metric tonnes of fireclay
were 2roduced in West Bengal.
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Mimestone which is used in cement industry is mined in Bankura, 8urulia, 5ar9eeling and
0al2aiguri.
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&here are co22er mines in 0al2aiguri and 5ar9eeling. .mall 'uantities of low 'uality
iron,ore are mined in Bardhaman, 8urulia, Birbhum and 5ar9eeling.
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&here are manganese in the
0hargram region of 8aschim 7edini2ur, 8urulia and Bardhaman. Wolfram is mined at 0hilimili in
Bankura.
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&he stateEs 2roduction of dolomite comes from the 5ooars region of 0al2aiguri. "8.5
thousand tonnes of dolomite were raised in !99",9).
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Dooars
Crom Wiki2edia, the free encyclo2edia
&his article needs additional citations for %erification. 8lease hel2 im2ro4e this article
by adding citations to reliable sources. Insourced material may be challenged and
remo4ed. (October 2013)
- tea garden in 5ooars with the background of the Himalayas.
&he Dooars or Duars (8ronA duA AG+ ( BengaliA B 1e2aliA + are the flood2lains and
foothills of the eastern Himalayas in 1orth,6ast India around Bhutan. Duar means >door> in
-ssamese, Bengali, 1e2ali, 7aithili, Bho92uri, 7agahi and &elugu languages, and the region forms
the gateway to Bhutan from India. &here are !8 2assages or gateways through which the
Bhutanese 2eo2le can communicate with the 2eo2le li4ing in the 2lains. &his region is di4ided by
the .ankosh ri4er into the 6astern and the Western 5ooars, consisting of an area of 8,800 kmN
(",)00 s' mi+. &he Western 5ooars is known as the Bengal 5ooars and the 6astern 5ooars as the
-ssam 5ooars. 5ooars is synonymous with the term &erai used in 1e2al and northern India and
form the only nitrate rich soil in India.
Contents
! History
;eogra2hy and climate
o .! 8olitical geogra2hy
o . 8hysical geogra2hy
o ." :limate
" 8eo2le
) :ities and towns
5 8olitics
* 6conomy
# Corests and animals
8 &rans2ort
9 ?eferences
!0 6@ternal links
History
?emains of 1alra9ar ;arh in :hila2ata Corest
&he 5ooars belonged to the 3och 3ingdomB and taking ad4antage of the weakness of the 3och
kingdom in subse'uent times, Bhutan took 2ossession of the 5ooars. &his region was controlled
by the kingdom of Bhutan when the British anne@ed it in !8*5 after the Bhutan War under the
command of :a2tain Hedayat -li. &he area was di4ided into two 2artsA the eastern 2art was
merged with ;oal2ara district in -ssam and the western 2art was turned into a new district named
Western 5ooars. -gain in the year !8*9, the name was changed to 0al2aiguri 5istrict. -fter the
end of the British rule in India in !9)#, the 5ooars acceded into the dominion of India and it
merged with the Inion of India shortly afterwards in !9)9.
"eography and climate
Political geography
7urti ri4er
&he 5ooars region 2olitically constitutes the 2lains of 5ar9eeling 5istrict, the whole of 0al2aiguri
5istrict and the u22er region of :ooch Behar 5istrict in West Bengal and the districts of 5hubri,
3okra9har, Bar2eta, ;oal2ara and Bongaigaon in the state of -ssam.
Physical geography
&he altitude of 5ooars area ranges from 90 to !,#50 m. Innumerable streams and ri4ers flow
through these fertile 2lains from the mountains of Bhutan. In -ssam, the ma9or ri4ers are the
Brahma2utra and 7anas. In northern West Bengal, the ma9or ri4er is the &eesta besides many
others like the 0aldhaka, 7urti, &orsha, .ankosh, 5yna, 3aratoya, ?aidak, and 3al9ani ri4ers,
among others.
Climate
&he a4erage rainfall of the area is about ",500 mm. 7onsoon generally starts from the middle of
7ay and continues till the end of .e2tember. Winters are cold with foggy mornings and nights.
.ummer is mild and constitutes a 4ery short 2eriod of the year.
People
?abha girls 2erforming war dance
&he nati4e 2eo2le of this region generally ha4e 7ongoloid features. &hey are com2osed of
numerous tribes, including the Bodo in -ssam, and the ?abha, the 7ech, the &oto, the 3och
?a9bongshi, the &amangJ7urmi, the Mimbu, the Me2cha in Bengal. 7ost of the 2eo2le found here
are 1e2ali community .
-2art from the tribal 2o2ulation, a large Bengali 2o2ulation (mostly dis2laced from the then 6ast
8akistan (now Bangladesh+ by the 8artition of Bengal+ also 2o2ulate the 5ooars and their culture
emerged with local 2eo2le.
&he 5ooars are famous for the tea gardens which were 2lanted by the British. Cor working in the
gardens, they im2orted labour from 1e2al and the :hota 1ag2ur and .anthal 8arganas. &he
/raons, 7undas, 3haria, 7ahali, Mohara and :hik Baraik are the tribals from these areas. &he
tribal of :hotanag2ur origin are em2loyed in tea gardens, which started 2roduction during the
!8#0s. Before the settlement of other communities, these 2eo2le con4erted the forests into
4illages and busties (agriculture 4illage+. &he remnants of these tribal 2eo2le form a ma9ority of the
2o2ulation in Western 5ooars.
Cities and to&ns
&he 5ooars is a large region and is dotted with many towns and cities. &he largest city in the
whole region stretching from the 5ar9eeling foothills to the -runachal 8radesh foothills is .iliguri.
&his northern Bengal city is well connected with the rest of country by road, air and railway and is
the business hub of the region.
&he other ma9or cities are 3okra9har, Bongaigaon, ;oal2ara, Bar2eta and 5hubri in -ssam. :ooch
Behar, -li2urduar, 0al2aiguri, 7albaGar, 7ainaguri and Bir2ara are the ma9or cities of the 5ooars
in West Bengal. -lso, the commercial ca2ital of Bhutan, 8huentsholing, near 0aigaon, can be
considered a 2art of this region.
Politics
Historically, the region has suffered from ethnic strife. &he Bodoland agitation in -ssam for a
se2arate state for the Bodo 2eo2le and the 3amta2ur or ;reater :ooch Behar mo4ement for a
3amta2ur state in northern Bengal for the ?a9bongshis are the two most 4ociferous ones.&he
-di4asi (&ribal+ of 5ooars are demanding autonomy under the .i@th .chedule of the Indian
:onstitution. &he ;orkhas ha4e also demanded that the area be included in their territory.
'conomy
;orumara 1ational 8ark entrance gateB &ourism is an im2ortant source of income for the residents
&he economy of 5ooars is based on three F&Fs < &ea, &ourism and &imber. &he main industry of
the 5ooars region is the tea industry. &housands of 2eo2le are engaged in the tea estates and
factories. .e4eral 2eo2le are also engaged in the culti4ation of bettlenuts which also contributes to
the economy. :ulti4ation of other cro2s is done mainly for local consum2tion.
&he area is dotted by se4eral national 2arks and wildlife sanctuaries which attract a lot of tourists
from all o4er India and abroad, making it an im2ortant contributor to the economy and also
em2loyer of a number of 2eo2le.
&he timber industry, both legally and illegally, flourishes in this region. - number of saw mills,
2lywood industries and other allied business also act as an im2ortant contributor to the economy.
&he 5ooars act as doorways to BhutanB thus, the e@2ort,im2ort industry also flourishes in the area.
&he towns of 0aigaon, .iliguri and 8huentsholing are im2ortant hubs of the e@2ort,im2ort industry.
-s the region is near the international borders of Bhutan, 1e2al and Bangladesh, the Border
.ecurity Corce (B.C+, the :entral ?eser4e 8olice Corce (:?8C+, Indian army and Indian -ir Corce
maintain a large 2resence in the area. &his leads to a large 2o2ulation of semi,2ermanent
residents who bring money into the local economy.
(orests and animals
- herd of ele2hant in 0alda2ara 1ational 8ark
&he beauty of the region lies not only in its tea gardens but also in the dense 9ungles that make u2
the countryside. 7any wildlife sanctuaries and national 2ark like 7anas 1ational 8ark in -ssam,
0alda2ara 1ational 8ark, Bu@a 1ational 8ark, ;orumara 1ational 8ark, :ha2ramari Wildlife
?eser4e and the 7ahananda Wildlife .anctuary in West Bengal are located in this region.
- number of rare endangered s2ecies of animals like tiger, rhinoceros and ele2hant make their
habitat in the forests of the 5ooars. /ther animals includes different ty2es of deer, bison, birds and
re2tiles. - railway line runs through the tea gardens and the 4arious 2rotected areas and a number
of ele2hants ha4e been killed in collisions with trains.
$!%
Transport
1ational Highway "! near Mataguri, West Bengal.
&he main mode of trans2ort in the area is roadways. 7ost of the 2laces are well connected by
roads. 1H"! is the main highway of the area. ?egular bus ser4ices 2ro4ided by 1orth Bengal
.tate &rans2ort :or2oration and -ssam .tate &rans2ort :or2oration and other 2ri4ate 2arties run
between all the im2ortant 2laces of the area. .hared 9ee2s and ma@i,ta@ies are 'uite 2o2ular in the
area.
&here are some im2ortant railway stations in the area such as 1ew 0al2aiguri, 1ew :ooch Behar,
-li2urduar, 1ew Bongaigaon, etc. -n im2ortant rail route between -li2urduar 0unction and 1ew
0al2aiguri 4ia 7albaGar co4ers almost the entire 5ooars.
&wo im2ortant air2orts of the area are Bagdogra -ir2ort near .iliguri and ;uwahati -ir2ort.
-nother air2ort is 2ro2osed to start in :ooch Behar shortly.
Bhagirathi Ri%er
&his article is about the tributary of the ;anges. Cor the distributary in West Bengal, see Hooghly
?i4er. Cor the 0! film, see Bhagirathi (film+.
Bh)g*rath* Ri%er
?i4er
Sacred athing ghats on Bhagirathi Ri%er
at "angotri
Name origin+ FBhagirathiF (.anskrit, literally,
Fcaused by BhagirathaF+
Country India
State Ittarakhand
Region ;arhwal di4ision
District
Ittar 3ashi 5istrict, &ehri
5istrict
Source
;aumukh (gou, cow O mukh,
face+, about !8 km (!!. mi+
from the town of ;angotri
, ele4ation ",89 m (!,#*9 ft+
Source
confluence
-laknanda ?i4er
,outh ;anges
, location 5e42rayag, Ittarakhand, India
, ele4ation )#5 m (!,558 ft+
Length 05 km (!# mi+
Basin *,9! km
(,*# s' mi+

Discharge
, a4erage 5#.#8 m
"
Js (9,!0" cu ftJs+
, ma@ ",800 m
"
Js (!"),!9* cu ftJs+
7a2 showing the Himalayan headwaters of the
Bhagirathi ri4er. &he numbers in 2arentheses
refer to the altitude in meters.
$!%
&he Bh)g*rath* (8ronAJ b g P J+ is a turbulent Himalayan ri4er in the state of Ittarakhand,
India, and one of the two headstreams of the ;anges, the ma9or ri4er of 1orthern India and the
holy ri4er of Hinduism. In Hindu mythology and culture, the Bhagirathi is considered the source
stream of the ;anges. Howe4er, in hydrology, the other headstream, -laknanda, is considered the
source stream on account of its great length and discharge.
Contents
! 6tymology
:ourse
" 5ams
) 1otes
5 ?eferences
* 6@ternal links
'tymology
&he word FBhagirathiF (.anskrit, literally, Fcaused by BhagirathaF+ refers to a mythological .agar
5ynasty 2rince who, to gain the release his 80,000 great,uncles from the curse of saint 3a2ila,
brought the goddess anga in the form of the ri4er ;anges, from the hea4ens to the earth.
$%
Bhagiratha was the king of 3osala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great
3ing .agara of the .urya4anshi, or .urya 5ynasty. He was one of the forefathers of Mord ?ama, of
the ?amayana, the e2ic in which Bhagiratha>s tale is 2rimarily recounted.
Course
&he headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at ;aumukh (ele4ation ",89 metres (!,#*9 ft++, at
the foot of the ;angotri glacier and 3hatling glaciers in the ;arhwal Himalaya. It is then 9oined by
its tributariesB these are, in order from the sourceA
!edar anga at ;angotri (ele4ation ",0)9 m (!0,00" ft++,
"adh anga at Bhaironghati (ele4ation ,*50 m (8,*90 ft++,
!akora ad and "alandhari ad near Harsil (ele4ation ,#)5 m (9,00* ft++,
#i$an ad near 0hala (ele4ation ,5#5 m (8,))8 ft++,
%si anganear Ittarkashi (ele4ation !,!58 m (",#99 ft++,
&hilangna 'iver near /ld &ehri (ele4ation #55 m (,)## ft++.
&he &hilangna itself rises at the foot of the 3hatling ;lacier (ele4ation ",#!# m (!,!95 ft++
a22ro@imately 50 km ("! mi+ south of ;aumukh.
&he ri4er flows from its source for 05 km (!# mi+ before meeting the -laknanda ?i4er at an
ele4ation of )#5 m (!,558 ft+ in the town of 5e42rayag. 5ownstream of this confluence, considered
holy by Hindus, the ri4er is known as the ;anga 0i, or ;anges ?i4er by westerners. &he
contro4ersial &ehri dam lies at the confluence of the BhQgirathi and the Bhilangna, at "0KR"S1
#8K8R)8S6, near &ehri.
BhQgirathi,Hooghly ?i4er behind HaGarduari 8alace 7urshidabad of West Bengal.
:haukhamba I is the highest 2oint of the Bhagirathi basin.
Hooghly Ri%er
(?edirected from ?i4er Hooghly+
&his article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. ?ele4ant discussion may be
found on the talk 2age. 8lease hel2 im2ro4e this article by introducing citations to
additional sources. ((ebruar$ 2012)
&his article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear ecause it has
insufficient inline citations. 8lease hel2 to im2ro4e this article by introducing more 2recise
citations. ((ebruar$ 2012)
7a2 of Hooghly ?i4er
Hooghly ?i4er 4iewed o4er the town of Bally, Howrah.
&he Hooghly Ri%er (Bengali , )ugliB -ngliciGed alternati4ely s2elled )oogli or )ugli+ or the
Bh)girathi$Hooghly, called >;anga> traditionally, is an a22ro@imately *0 kilometres (!*0 mi+ long
distributary of the ;anges ?i4er in West Bengal, India. It s2lits from the ;anges as a canal in
7urshidabad 5istrict at the Carakka Barrage. &he town of Hugli,:hinsura, formerly Hooghly, is
located on the ri4er, in the Hooghly (district+.
$!%
&he origins of the )ooghl$ name are uncertain,
whether the city or the ri4er was named first.
Contents
! :ourse
o !.! Har4est Cields of Bengal
Hooghly tidal bore
" History
) 6conomics
5 ;allery
* In literature
# .ee also
8 ?eferences
9 6@ternal links
Course
&he Carakka Barrage is a dam that di4erts water from the ;anges into a canal near the town of
&ildanga in 7alda district. &his su22lies the Hooghly with ade'uate water e4en in the dry season.
It 2arallels the ;anges, 2ast 5hulian, until 9ust abo4e 0ahangir2ur where the canal ends and the
ri4er takes its own course. 0ust south of 0ahangir2ur it lea4es the ;anges area and flows south
2ast 0iagan9 -Gimgan9, 7urshidabad, and Baharam2ur. .outh of Baharam2ur and north of 8alashi
it used to form the border between Bardhaman 5istrict and 1adia 5istrict, but while the border has
remained the same the ri4er is now often east or west of its former bed. &he ri4er then flows south
2ast 3atwa, 1a4adwi2 and 3alna. -t 3alna it originally formed the border between 1adia 5istrict
and Hooghly 5istrict, and then further south between Hooghly 5istrict and 1orth ) 8arganas
5istrict. It flows 2ast Halisahar, :hunchura, 3onnagar, and 3amarhati. &hen 9ust before entering
the twin cities of 3olkata (:alcutta+ and Howrah, it turns to the southwest. -t 1ur2ur it enters an
old channel of the ;anges and turns south to em2ty into the Bay of Bengal. &wo of its well known
tributaries are 5amodar and ?u2narayan.
Har%est (ields of Bengal
&he Hooghly ?i4er from the Har4est Cields of Bengal, c. !905
&he scenery along the banks of the Hooghly 4aries considerably. Crom the sea nothing but
sandbanks and mud formations co4ered with coarse herbage at first greet the eye, then as the
ri4er narrows, culti4ated rice fields and slee2y hamlets re2osing within the foliage of beautiful
gro4es, render the 4iew at once 2leasing and 2ictures'ue.
Hooghly tidal ore
&he tide runs ra2idly on the Hugli, and 2roduces a remarkable e@am2le of the flu4ial 2henomenon
known as a Ftidal bore.F &his consists of the head,wa4e of the ad4ancing tide, hemmed in where
the estuary narrows suddenly into the ri4er, and often e@ceeds # feet (.! m+ in height. It is felt as
high u2 as :alcutta, and fre'uently destroys small boats. &he difference from the lowest 2oint of
low,water in the dry season to the highest 2oint of high,water in the rains is re2orted to be 0 feet
!0 inches (*."5 m+. &he greatest mean rise of tide, about !* feet ().9 m+, takes 2lace in 7arch,
-2ril or 7ay , with a declining range during the rainy season to a mean of !0 feet (".0 m+, and a
minimum during freshets of " feet * inches (!.0# m+.
History
In its u22er reaches the ri4er is generally known as the BhQgirathi, until it reaches Hooghly. &he
word BhQgirathi literally means Fcaused by BhagirathaF, a mythical .agar 5ynasty 2rince who was
instrumental in bringing the ri4er ;anges from the hea4ens on to the earth, in order to release his
*0,000 grand,uncles from a curse of the saint 3a2ila.
&he ri4er was an im2ortant trans2ortation channel in the early history of Bengal, and later with the
colonial trading 2orts. &he ri4er>s 2resence is one of the reasons chosen by the British to settle
there at :alcutta. &he 5utchJCrench colony at :handannagar on the Hooghly was once the ri4al of
British :alcutta, but was ecli2sed by :alcutta in the colonial wars of the !8th century. &he ri4er
banks hosted se4eral battles and skirmishes towards the start of the colonial era, including the
Battle of 8lassey 8alashi, as well as earlier wars against 7aratha raiders. /n eastern bank lie
many historic and wealthy towns like 7urshidabad, 0angi2ur and Tiagan9.
In !9#), the Carakka Barrage began di4erting water into the Hooghly during the dry season so as
to reduce the silting difficulties at 3olkata>s 2ort.
Mike the rest of the ;anges, the BhQgirathi,Hooghly is considered sacred to Hindus, and its water
is considered holy.
'conomics
0ubilee Bridge on Hooghly ?i4er between 1aihati and Bandel
&he BhQgirathi,Hooghly ri4er system is an essential lifeline for the 2eo2le of West Bengal. It is
through this ri4er that the 6ast India com2any sailed in to Bengal and established their trade
settlement , :alcutta, which later grew u2 to be one of the greatest cities of the world and ca2ital of
the erstwhile British India. 8eo2le from other countries like Crench, 5utch, 8ortuguese, etc. all had
their trade settlement by the banks of this ri4er.
&he ri4er 2ro4ides 2erennial su22ly of water to the 2lain of West Bengal for irrigation and human =
industry consum2tion. &he ri4er is na4igable and the ma9or trans2ort system in the region with a
huge traffic flow. &he ri4er is also 2olluted. Cor a long time, the :alcutta 8ort was the biggest 2ort
of India. &hough in the 2ast its significance had gone down, but recently it had again came u2 to
the "rd 2osition in the list of Indian 8orts. &he fish from the ri4er are im2ortant to the local
economy.
&he modern container 2ort of Haldia, on the intersection of lower Hooghly and Haldi ?i4er, now
carries much of the region>s maritime trade. /ne new 2ort will be built in the dee2 sea to reduce
load on :alcutta 2ort.
&he Hooghly ri4er 4alley was the most im2ortant industrial area of erstwhile state of Bengal. 5ue to
declining 9ute industry, the 2rime industry of this region, it lost its glory and 2artitioning of Bengal.
But still it is one of the biggest industrial areas of India. 6@ce2t 3olkata and Howrah it has number
of small cities which forms the ;reater 3olkata -gglomeration, the second biggest Indian city and
former ca2ital.
.e4eral bridges run o4er the Hooghly at 3olkata < Howrah Bridge, Hidyasagar .etu, Hi4ekananda
.etu, 1i4edita .etu (second Hi4ekananda Bridge+, 0ubilee Bridge(chinsurah+ and Iswar ;u2ta
.etu (Banshberia+.
,ayura-shi Ri%er
,ayura-shi Ri%er ./
,or Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
States 0harkhand, West Bengal
Triutaries
, right 3o2ai ?i4er
City .uri
Landmar-s
7assan9ore 5am, &il2ara
Barrage
Source &rikut Hill
, coordinate
s
)K9R00S1 8*K)R0S6
Length 50 km (!55 mi+
,ayura-shi Ri%er (A + (also called ,or Ri%er+ is a ma9or ri4er in West Bengal, India,
with a long history of de4astating floods.
It has its source on &rikut hill, about !* km from 5eoghar in 0harkhand state.
$!%
It flows through
0harkhand and then through the districts of Birbhum and 7urshidabad in West Bengal before
flowing into the Hooghly ?i4er. &he ri4er is about 50 km long.
$%
7ayurakshi literally means F2eacock eyesF (ma$ur*morU2eacock, akshiUeye+. &he com2arison is
with the beautiful feathers on a 2eacock>s tail. 7ayurakshi though named after its crystal clear
water of the dry seasons, floods its 4alley during the monsoons. 64en after the construction of the
7assan9ore dam, it wreaks ha4oc with its floods, washing away embankments.
Contents
! Cloods and their control
o !.! 7assan9ore 5am
o !. &il2ara Barrage
o !." Cloods since then
Irrigation and 2ower
" &ributaries
) ?eferences
5 6@ternal links
(loods and their control
&he 7ayurakshi is famous for its strong current. Cor se4en or eight months in the year the ri4er is a
desert < sands stretching from shore to shore for a mile and a half. But when the rains come, she
is terrible, demoniac. .he races along, four to fi4e miles (8 km+ wide, her dee2 grey water
swam2ing e4erything within reach. &hen comes once in a while the Har2a flood, when the water,
si@ to se4en cubits dee2, rushes into 4illages nearby and washes away homes and granaries and
all else in its way. &his does not ha22en 4ery often though. &he last time was about twenty years
ago.
$"%
&arashankar Bando2adhyay
7any of the ri4ers that originate on the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau and flow down into West Bengal are
rain fed and ha4e for ages wrought ha4oc with their seasonal floods. &his includes the 7ayurakshi.
-nnual rainfall o4er the basin 4aries between #*5 and !*0# mm with an a4erage of !00 mm of
which 80L occurs during the monsoon season from 0une to .e2tember.
$)%
.ome of the historically im2ortant floods in this ri4er were recorded by M..... />7alley in the
Bengal 5istrict ;aGetteers for the districts of 7urshidabad and Birbhum. Cor the district of
Birbhum, />7alley has noted Vin !#8# there was a high flood which it is said, in some 2laces swe2t
off 4illages, inhabitants and cattle, the cro2s on the ground, with e4erything that was mo4eable.W
/>7alley also recorded that Vin !80* the 7ayurakshi and -9ay had a sudden e@traordinary rise and
floods washed away whole 4illages.W In .e2tember !90, because of hea4y rains the Brahmani
and the 7ayurakshi o4erflowed their banks and inundated the surrounding country in some 2laces
to the de2th of ! to 0 ft (*.! m+
$5%
,assanjore Dam
Crom the counter2art ru2ee fund created through su22lies of wheat and other materials from
:anada for use in India, :anada de4oted those ru2ees to the further de4elo2ment of the
7ayurakshi dam 2ro9ect.
$*%
&he 7assan9ore dam (also called :anada 5am+, across the
7ayurakshi, was commissioned in !955. It was formally inaugurated by Mester B. 8earson,
Coreign 7inister of :anada.
$#%
Infortunately, the 7assan9ore dam located near 5umka in the state
of 0harkhand (erstwhile Bihar+ was not allowed to ha4e any flood reser4e. .imultaneously with
construction of dams the state go4ernment in !95*, selecti4ely took o4er flood control
embankments till then maintained by the landlords or local bodies.
$5%
7assan9ore dam is about
"8 km u2stream from .iuri in West Bengal. It is !55 feet ()# m+ high from its base and is ,!#0
feet (**0 m+ long. &he reser4oir has an area of !*,*50 acres (*#.) kmN+ when full and has a
storage ca2acity of 500,000 acre feet (*0,000,000 m
"
+. It had cost ?s. !*.!0 crore.
$%
.ee also < 7assan9ore tra4el guide from Wiki4oyage
Tilpara Barrage
-2art from the 7assan9ore 5am there is a barrage, some " km downstream, at &il2ara, near
.iuri. &he barrage is !,0!" feet ("09 m+ long and had cost ?s. !.!! crore.
$%
(loods since then
In the four decades between !9*0 and 000 only fi4e years could be identified as flood free years,
when only less than 500 kmN of area were inundated. -fter ma9or floods in !9#8, West Bengal
suffered consecuti4ely in !998, !999 and 000. In !9#8, se4enty two hours of continuous and
concentrated rainfall o4er the western ri4er basin areas of the Bhagirathi 4iG. from the 8agla,
Bansloi to the -9ay, generated so huge flood 4olume that all embankments on the eastern side of
the Bhagirathi were almost washed away and the whole of 1adia district, a larger 2art of
7urshidabad district and northern areas of 1orth ) 8arganas district were flooded and remained
underwater for a long 2eriod of time.
$5%$8%
:onstruction of embankments is the only structural
measure a4ailable for the 2ro4ision of relief to the 2eo2le. 7a9or embankments line long stretches
of such ri4ers as 7ayurakshi, 5warka, Brahmani and -9ay
$5%$9%
0rrigation and po&er
7assan9ore dam has ensured irrigation of some *00,000 acres (,)00 kmN+ of land with an
estimated resultant increased yield of a22ro@imately )00,000 tons of food annually
$!0%
and
generation of ,000 kW of electric 2ower.
$!!%
Triutaries
&he 7ayurakshi is fed by tributaries Brahmani, 5waraka, Bakreshwar and 3o2ai.
#jay Ri%er
#jay Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
States
Bihar, 0harkhand, West
Bengal
Triutaries
, left Hinglo ?i4er
, right 3unur ?i4er
Cities
:hittaran9an, :hurulia,
5urga2ur(.ib2ur -9ai ;haat+
0ayde4 3enduli, IlambaGar
Source Hill near 7unger
, locatio
n
7unger district, Bihar
,outh Bhagirathi
, locatio
n
3atwa, Bardhaman district,
West Bengal
Length 88 km (!#9 mi+
&he #jay Ri%er (8ronAJ d J+ is a ma9or ri4er in 0harkhand and West Bengal. &he word +%,a$-
means Vnot con'ueredW.
$!%
Contents
! ;eogra2hy
History
" ?eferences
) .ee also
"eography
&he -9ay ?i4er originates on a small hill about "00 metres high, south west of 7unger in Bihar. It
then flows through 0harkhand and enters West Bengal at .im9uri, near :hittaran9an. It first forms
the border between Bardhaman 5istrict and 0harkhand and then between Bardhaman 5istrict and
Birbhum 5istrict, and finally it enters 3atwa subdi4ision of Bardhaman district at 1areng 4illage in
3etugram 2olice station. It then 9oins the Bhagirathi ?i4er at 3atwa &own.
$%
&otal length of the -9ay
is 88 km, out of which !5 km is in West Bengal.
$"%
&he catchment area of -9ay ?i4er is *,000 km
.
$)%
&he im2ortant tributaries of the -9ay are 8athro and 0ayanti in 0harkhand, and &umuni and 3unur
in Bardhaman district of West Bengal.
$"%
&he u22er reaches of the -9ay 2ass through hilly regions with laterite soil. It is only from -usgram
in Bardhaman district that the -9ay flows through allu4ial 2lains. &he -9ay 4alley was densely
forested with sal, 2iyasal and 2alas trees till recent times when mining and other acti4ities led to
the clearing of forests.
$"%
History
In the history of ancient India edited by 7c 3rindle, there was a ri4er called -mystis that flows 2ast
a town called 3atadu2a, in the days of 7egasthenes. -nother historian Wilfred o2ines that -mystis
is modern day -9ay.
$5%
In recent times there has been e@2loration of the remains of an ancient
ci4ilisation similar to that of the Indus Halley :i4ilisation at 8andu ?a9ar 5hibi in the lower -9ay
4alley.
$"%
&here has been at least !) recorded floods in the 0th century in the -9ay ri4er. &he lower reaches
of the ri4er ha4e embankments to 2re4ent flooding.
$"%
0ayde4 3enduli, claimed to be the birth2lace of the !"th century .anskrit 2oet 0ayade4a of ita
ovinda fame,
$*%
and :hurulia, birth2lace of 3aGi 1aGrul Islam are located on the banks of the -9ay.
Damodar Ri%er
Damodar Ri%er
?i4er
5amodar ?i4er in the lower reaches of
the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau in dry
season
Country India
States West Bengal, 0harkhand
Triutaries
, left Barakar, 3onar, 0amunia
, right .ali ?i4er (West Bengal+
Cities
Bokaro, -sansol, West Bengal,
?anigan9, West Bengal,
5urga2ur, Bardhaman, West
Bengal
Landmar
-s
&enughat 5am, 8anchet 5am,
West Bengal, 5urga2ur
Barrage, ?andiha -nicut, West
Bengal
Source :handwa
,outh Hooghly ?i4er, West Bengal
Length 59 km ("*8 mi+
Discharg
e
for Hooghly ?i4er, West Bengal
, a4erage 9* m
"
Js (!0,)5" cu ftJs+
.1/
, ma@ ,#0# m
"
Js (95,59# cu ftJs+
, min 0 m
"
Js (0 cu ftJs+
Damodar Ri%er (8ronAJ dXm d J+ is a ri4er flowing across the Indian states of West Bengal and
0harkhand. ?ich in mineral resources, the 4alley is home to large,scale mining and industrial
acti4ity. 6arlier known as the Sorro& of Bengal
$%
because of its ra4aging floods in the 2lains of
West Bengal, the 5amodar and its tributaries ha4e been somewhat tamed with the construction of
se4eral dams.
Contents
! 6tymology
:ourse
" &ributaries
) ?i4er of .orrows
5 5amodar Halley
o 5.! 5amodar Halley :or2oration
* ?eferences
'tymology
In some of the local languages of 0harkhand, 5amodar ?i4er is called Damuda, damu means
sacred and da means water.
$"%
Course
&he 5amodar originates in :handwa in Matehar district, on the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau, and flows
eastward for about 59 kilometres ("*8 mi+ through the states of 0harkhand and West Bengal to
the estuary of the Hooghly ri4er. 7etamor2hic rocks form the watershed between the 1orth 3oel
and the 5amodar to the west of the :handwa,Balumath road. &his di4ide se2arates the .on and
5amodar basins.
$"%$)%$5%
&he 5amodar basin forms a trough between the ?anchi and HaGaribagh 2lateau@ resulting from
enormous fractures at their 2resent edges, which caused the land between to sink to a great de2th
and 2reser4ed from denudation the 3aran2ura, ?amgarh and Bokaro coalfields. &he northern
boundary of the 5amodar 4alley is stee2 as far as the southeastern corner of the HaGaribagh
2lateau. /n the south of the trough the 5amodar kee2s close to the edge of the ?anchi 2lateau till
it has 2assed ?amgarh, after which a turn to the northeast lea4es on the right a wide and le4el
4alley on which the .ubarnarekha ri4er begins to intrude, south of ;ola till the .ingh2ur Hills di4ert
it to the south. Curther to the east the 5amodar ?i4er 2asses tamely into the 7anbhum sector of
lowest ste2 of the :hotanag2ur 2lateau.
$*%
&he 5amodar used to flow through erstwhile Bengal on a direct west,to,east course and 9oin the
Hooghly ri4er near 3alna. Howe4er, it has changed its course, and in its lower reaches most of the
water flows into the 7undeswari ?i4er, which combines with other ri4ers. Cinally most of the
5amodar water flows into the ?u2narayan ri4er. &he remaining mass of water flows through what
is known as 5amodar into the Hooghly south of 3olkata.
$"%
Triutaries
It has a number of tributaries and subtributaries, such as Barakar, 3onar, Bokaro, Haharo,
0amunia, ;hari, ;uaia, 3hadia and Bhera.
$"%$)%
&he Barakar is the most im2ortant tributary of the 5amodar. It originates near 8adma in
HaGaribagh district and flows through 0harkhand before meeting the 5amodar near 5ishergarh in
West Bengal. &he 5amodar and the Barakar trifurcates the :hota 1ag2ur 2lateau. &he ri4ers 2ass
through hilly areas with great force, swee2ing away whate4er lies in their 2ath. &wo bridges on the
;rand &runk ?oad near Barhi in HaGaribagh district were torn down by the BarakarA the great
stone bridge in !9!" and the subse'uent iron bridge in !9)*.
$#%
Ri%er of Sorro&s
&he :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau recei4es an a4erage annual rainfall of around !,)00 millimetres (55 in+,
almost all of it in the monsoon months between 0une and -ugust.
$8%
&he huge 4olume of water that
flows down the 5amodar and its tributaries during the monsoons used to be a fury in the u22er
reaches of the 4alley. In the lower 4alley it used to o4erflow its banks and flood large areas.
5amodar ?i4er was earlier known as the F?i4er of .orrowsF
$9%
as it used to flood many areas of
Bardhaman, Hooghly, Howrah and 7edini2ur districts. 64en now the floods sometimes affect the
lower 5amodar Halley, but the ha4oc it wreaked in earlier years is now a matter of history.
&he floods were 4irtually an annual ritual. In some years the damage was 2robably more. 7any of
the great floods of the 5amodar are recorded in history Y !##0, !855, !8**, !8#"<#), !8#5<#*,
!88)<85, !89!<9, !89#, !900, !90#, !9!", !9#, !9"0, !9"5 and !9)". In four of these floods
(!##0, !855, !9!" and !9)"+ most of Bardhaman town was flooded.
In !#89 an agreement was signed between 7ahara9a 3irti :hand of Burdwan and the 6ast India
:om2any wherein the 7ahara9a was asked to 2ay an additional amount of !9",#! (I.Z","00 or
[,000+ for the construction and maintenance of embankment to 2re4ent floods. Howe4er, these
ran into dis2ute and in !8** and !8#", The &engal 0mbankment %ct was 2assed, transferring the
2owers to build and maintain embankment to the go4ernment.
3rishak .etu o4er the 5amodar ?i4er, near Bardhaman
.o great was the de4astation e4ery year that the floods 2assed into folklore, as the following
Bhadu song testifiesA
We ha4e sown the cro2s in -sar
We will bring Bhadu in Bhadra.
Cloods ha4e swollen the 5amodar
&he sailing boats cannot sail.
/ 5amodar\ We fall at your feet
?educe the floods a little.
Bhadu will come a year later
Met the boats sail on your surface.
&he 5amodar in its u22er reaches
Damodar 1alley
&he 5amodar Halley is s2read across HaGaribagh, ?amgarh, 3oderma, ;iridih, 5hanbad, Bokaro
and :hatra districts in 0harkhand and Bardhaman and Hooghly districts in West Bengal and
2artially co4ers 8alamu, ?anchi, Mohardaga and 5umka districts in 0harkhand and Howrah,
Bankura and 8urulia districts in West Bengal with a command area of ),"5 kmN.
&he 5amodar 4alley is rich in coal. It is considered as the 2rime centre of coking coal in the
country. 7assi4e de2osits are found in the central basin s2reading o4er ,88" km
. &he im2ortant
coalfields in the basin are 0haria, ?anigan9, West Bokaro, 6ast Bokaro, ?amgarh, .outh
3aran2ura and 1orth 3aran2ura.
$!0%
&he 5amodar Halley is one of the most industrialised 2arts of India. &hree integrated steel 2lants
(Bokaro, Burn2ur and 5urga2ur+ of .teel -uthority of India Mimited (.-IM+ and other factories are
in the 4alley.
Damodar 1alley Corporation
.ee alsoA 5amodar Halley :or2oration
.e4eral dams ha4e been constructed in the 4alley, for the generation of hydroelectric 2ower. &he
4alley is called Vthe ?uhr of IndiaW. 5amodar Halley :or2oration, 2o2ularly known as 5H:, came
into being on 0uly #, !9)8 by an -ct of the :onstituent -ssembly of India (-ct 1o. ]IH of !9)8+ as
the first multi2ur2ose ri4er 4alley 2ro9ect of inde2endent India.
$!!%
It is modeled on the &ennessee
Halley -uthority of the I.-.
$!%
?andiha weir on lower 5amodar
&he initial focus of the 5H: were flood control, irrigation, generation, transmission and distribution
of electricity, eco,conser4ation and afforestation, as well as 9ob creation for the socio,economic
well,being of the 2eo2le residing in and around areas affected by 5H: 2ro9ects. Howe4er, o4er the
2ast few decades, 2ower generation has gained 2riority. /ther ob9ecti4es of the 5H: remain 2art
of its 2rimary res2onsibility. &he dams in the 4alley ha4e a ca2acity to moderate 2eak floods of
*50,000 to 50,000 ft
"
Js. 5H: has created irrigation 2otential of "*)0 km
.
&he first dam was built across the Barakar ?i4er, a tributary of the 5amodar ri4er at &ilaiya in
!95". &he second one was built across the 3onar ?i4er, another tributary of the 5amodar ri4er at
3onar in !955. &wo dams across the ri4ers Barakar and 5amodar were built at 7aithon in !95#
and 8anchet in !958. Both the dams are some 8 km u2stream of the confluence 2oint of the ri4ers.
&hese four ma9or dams are controlled by 5H:. 5urga2ur Barrage was constructed downstream of
the four dams in !955, across the 5amodar ri4er at 5urga2ur in !955, with head regulators for
canals on either side for feeding an e@tensi4e system of canals and distributaries.
$!"%$!)%
In !9#8, the
go4ernment of Bihar (that was before the formation of the state of 0harkhand+ constructed the
&enughat 5am across the 5amodar ri4er outside the control of 5H:.
$!5%
It 2ro2oses constructing a
dam across the Barakar ri4er at Bel2ahari in 0harkhand state.
$!*%
2angsaati Ri%er
2angsaati Ri%er .Kasai/
Cossye
?i4er
3angsabati ?i4er near 7idna2ore town
Country India
State West Bengal
Triutaries
, right 3umari ?i4er
Cities 8urulia, Bankura, 7idna2ore
Source
, locatio
n
7urguma, 8urulia district, :hota
1ag2ur 8lateau, West Bengal
Length
)*5." km (a22ro@+ km
('xpression error+
3nrecogni4ed &ord 5-m56 mi+
Cor ri4er in -frica see 3asai ?i4er
2angsaati Ri%er (8ronAJ kX^s b t J+ (also 4ariously known as the 3asai and :ossye+ rises
from the :hota 1ag2ur 2lateau in the state of West Bengal, India and 2asses through the districts
of 8urulia, Bankura and 8aschim 7edini2ur in West Bengal before draining in the Bay of Bengal.
Contents
! :ourse
3angsabati 8ro9ect
" ?eferences
) .ee also
Course
-fter rising at 7urguma near 0halda in the :hota 1ag2ur 2lateau in 8urulia district, it 2asses by
8urulia, 3hatra and ?anibandh in Bankura district, and then enters 8aschim 7edini2ur in the
Bin2ur area. It is 9oined by Bhairabbanki. -t 3esh2ur the ri4er s2lits into two. &he northern branch
flows through the 5as2ur area as 8alar2ai and 9oins the ?u2narayan ?i4er. &he other branch flows
in a south,easterly direction and on 9oining the 3aliaghai ?i4er forms the Haldi ?i4er, which flows
into the Bay of Bengal at Haldia.
$!%
8urulia, 7ukutmani2ur, Bin2ur, 7idna2ore, and 3harag2ur are towns on or near the banks of this
ri4er.
2angsaati Project
&he 3angsabati 8ro9ect was started in !95* as 2art of the Indian .econd Ci4e,year 8lan to 2ro4ide
water to ",)8).## kmN of land in the districts of 8aschim 7edini2ur, 8urba 7edini2ur, Bankura,
8urulia 5istrict and Hooghly.
$%
It in4ol4es irrigation land using water from the 3angsabati ?i4er, as
well as the .hilabati and the Bhoirobbanki ri4ers.
-s 2art of the 8ro9ect, a "8 m high and !0,098 m long dam named as 7ukutmani2ur 5am was
constructed at the border of 8urulia and West 7idna2ore. - anicut dam built on the 3angsabati
?i4er near 7idna2ore in !8# was also added to the o2erations of the 2ro9ect.
$"%
Rupnarayan Ri%er
Rupnarayan Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
City 3olaghat, &amluk
&he Rupnarayan Ri%er is a ri4er in India. It begins as the 5haleswari (5halkisor+ in the :hhota
1ag2ur 2lateau foothills northeast of the town of 8urulia. It then follows a tortuous southeasterly
course 2ast the town of Bankura, where it is known as the 5warakeswar ri4er. 1ear the town of
;hatal it is 9oined by the .ilai, where it takes the name ?u2narayan. Cinally, it 9oins the Hoogli
?i4er. It is famous for the Hilsa fish that li4e in it and are used in Bengali cuisine. It is also notable
for the West Bengal 8ower 5e4elo2ment :or2oration Mimited (WB85:M+ thermal 2ower 2lant built
along its bank at 3olaghat in West Bengal.
See also
7hide8
%
t
e
Ri%ers in and around Bengal
Southeast
Banglades
h
5akatia
Halda
3arna2huli
1af
.angu
&hega
#ssam 9
,eghalaya
9 Tripura
Barak
Brahma2utra
5halai
Ceni
0uri
3angsha
3hawthlangtui2ui
3ushiyara
Mongai
7anu
7eghna
7uhuri
7yntdu
.omeshwari
.urma
.urma,7eghna
&itas J Haora
;umti
3howai
Northern
Banglades
h
North
Bengal
-trai
Balason
Bangali
Baral
:hiri
5harla
5he2a
0aldhaka
3aratoya
3arotoa
3aGi2ur
3hong 3hola
7ahananda
7echi
1agar
8unarbhaba
?aidak or Wong :hhu
?angeet
.mall 0amuna
.hiba
.ree
&angon
&eesta
&orsaJ7achuJ-mo :hhu
Central
Banglades
h
Balu
Bangshi
Buriganga
:hiknai
5haleshwari
5hanu
;orai,7adhumati
0amuna
0inai
Mouha9ang
8adma
.hitalakhya
&urag
Chotanagp
ur
-9ay
Bakreshwar
Bansloi
Barakar
Brahmani
5akatua
5amodar
5warka
5warakeswar
;andheswari
Haldi
Hinglo
3angsabati
3eleghai
3o2ai
3osai
3umar
3unur
7ayurakshi
7undeswari
?asul2ur
Rupnarayan
.ali
.hilabati
.ubarnarekha
South
Bengal
"anges
Delta
-di ;anga
Baleshwar
Bhairab
Bidyadhari
Bishkhali
Bura ;auranga
:hurni
5hanshiri
;arai
;osaba
Hariabhanga
Hooghly
Ichamati
0alangi
0amuna
3aliganga
3alindi
3irtankhola
3o2othakho
7akunda
7athabhanga
7atla
7uri ;anga
1abaganga
8asur
8iyali
?aimangal
?u2sha
.a2tamukhi
.araswati
&hakuran
Related
topics
Beel
:ountry boats in Bangladesh
:halan Beel
;anges
Haor
Haors in Bangladesh
Mist of ri4ers of Bangladesh
of India
Waters of .outh -sia
5amodar Halley :or2oration
Hydrograp
hy of
surroundin
/disha
0harkhand
g areas
Bihar
7iGoram
1e2al
.ikkim
Bhutan
1orth,east India
:oordinatesA K!"R1 88K0"R6
Brahmani Ri%er .Birhum/
Cor ri4er of same name in /rissa, see Brahmani ri4er.
Brahmani Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
&he Brahmani Ri%er is a tributary of the 5warka ?i4er.
&he Brahmani originates in the .anthal 8arganas in 0harkhand and then flows through Birbhum
district, bisecting ?am2urhat subdi4ision. It finally flows through 7urshidabad district, where it 9oins
the 5warka ?i4er.
$!%
It is a hill stream with beds full of 2ebbles and yellow clay.
$%
Baidhara arrage
Baidhara barrage on the Brahmani has a ca2acity of ))0 acre feet (5)0,000 m
"
+,
$"%
D&ar-a Ri%er
D&ar-a Ri%er
Bala Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
Triutaries
, right Brahmani
Landmar- &ara2ith
&he D&ar-a Ri%er (also called Babla+ is a tributary of Bhagirathi.
&he 5waraka originates in .anthal 8arganas in 0harkhand and then flows through 7ayureswar
and ?am2urhat 2olice station areas of Birbhum district. It finally flows through 7urshidabad
district, where it 9oins the Bhagirathi.
$!%
&hough a moderate ri4er, it has se4eral names and many small tributaries and estuaries. Its many
backwaters and side channels also connect it with the Bhagirathi. It is a hill stream with beds full of
2ebbles and yellow clay.
$%
Deucha arrage
5eucha barrage on the 5warka ri4er has a ca2acity of !,)00 acre feet (!,#00,000 m
"
+,
$"%
It is located
on the west side of 1H *0, in Birbhum district .
Ba-resh&ar Ri%er
Ba-resh&ar Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
City Bakreshwar
Landmar Bakreshwar &hermal 8ower
- .tation
&he Ba-resh&ar Ri%er is a tributary of the 7ayurakshi ?i4er. It originates in .anthal 8arganas
di4ision of 0harkhand.
$!%
It then flows through Birbhum district and meets the 3o2ai ?i4er. &he
combined waters flow into the 7ayurakshi ?i4er in 7urshidabad district.
$%
Contents
! 1eel 1ir9an
Irrigation
" 6@ternal links
) ?eferences
Neel Nirjan
When tra4eling along the 8anagarh<7orgram Highway one has to turn left a little after 5ubra92ur
for Bakreshwar &hermal 8ower .tation and its reser4oir named 1eel 1ir,an (meaning blue
solitude+. It is gaining in 2o2ularity as a tourist s2ot.
$"%
&he thermal 2ower station is near :hin2ai.
0rrigation
Bakreshwar canal 2ro4ides irrigation.
$!%
2opai Ri%er
2opai Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Triutaries
, left Bakreshwar ?i4er
Cities .antiniketan, Mabh2ur
&he 2opai Ri%er (also called Sal Ri%er+ is a tributary of the 7ayurakshi ?i4er.
$!%$%
It flows 2ast
such towns as .antiniketan, Bol2ur, 3ankalitala and Mabh2ur in Birbhum district in the Indian state
of West Bengal.
$"%
It is a small ri4er in dry season but o4erflows its banks during the monsoon.
$)%$5%
Contents
! Miterary association
-rchaeology
" 6@ternal links
) ?eferences
Literary association
&he area around the ri4er 'uite often has red soil, which forms ra4ines on the ri4er bank with
weathering and is 2o2ular as the khoai. It has ins2ired literary figures in the area.
$)%
It is described
by ?abindranath &agore as follows <
amader chhoto nodi chale anke banke$
boisakh mase$ taar hantu ,al thake$
$*%

/ur small stream mo4es forward in bends and cur4es
In the month of Baisakh it only has knee dee2 waters
&he local name of a sickle,sha2ed cur4e in the ri4er ins2ired the title of the no4el )ansuli &anker
23akatha (.tory of the .ickle,sha2ed :ur4e+ by &arashankar Bando2adhyay, made into a film by
&a2an .inha.
$#%$8%
#rchaeology
7icroliths of crystalline stone and 2etrified wood from about !50<!000 B: are found in many
2laces in the -9ay,3unur,3o2ai ri4er system.
$9%
D&ara-es&ar Ri%er
D&ara-es&ar Ri%er
Dhal-isor Ri%er
?i4er
Countr
y
India
State West Bengal
Triutaries
, left
;andheswari ?i4er, 3ukhra
?i4er, Birai ?i4er
, right .hilabati ?i4er
City Bankura, -rambag
Source&ilboni Hill
D&ara-es&ar Ri%er (BengaliA + (also known as 5halkisor+ is a ma9or ri4er in the western
2art of West Bengal.
Contents
! :ourse
8ro9ects
" ?eferences
) .ee also
Course
It originates from &ilboni hill in 8urulia district and enters Bankura district near :hhatna. It cuts
across the district flowing 2ast the district head'uarters and enters the south,eastern ti2 of
Bardhaman 5istrict. It then 2asses through Hooghly 5istrict
$!%
&he .ilai 9oins it near ;hatal and the
two together is known as ?u2narayan ?i4er, which flows into the Hooghly ?i4er near ;adiara in
Howrah 5istrict.and also in this ri4er ha4e many sedimentation for low water su22lying( any
season+. /f course in rainy season in few days are filled u2 ri4er basin by water,than huge
sedimentation are blocked the channel, e4en in near arambag city of the channel basin reduced by
gurbages andman acti4ity.
Projects
&here is a 2ro2osal for the construction of a dam across the 5warakeswar. &he 2reliminary 2ro9ect
re2ort on 5warakeswar ;andheswari ?eser4oir was recei4ed in :entral Water :ommission in
0anuary, 00) for which Din, 2rinci2leE consent of :entral Water :ommission for 2re2aration of
detailed 8ro9ect ?e2ort has been con4eyed to the .tate ;o4ernment in 7arch, 00).
$%
Shilaati Ri%er
Shilaati Ri%er
Silai Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Triutaries
, left 0ay2anda ?i4er
City 8urulia
&he Shilaati ?i4er (also known as Silai+ originates in the terrain of the :hhota 1ag2ur 8lateau in
the 8urulia district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India. It flows in an almost southeasterly
direction through the districts of Bankura and West 7idna2ore. &he .hilabati 9oins the
5warakeswar near ;hatal and afterwards is known as ?u2narayan. It finally 9oins the Hooghly
?i4er and em2ties into the Bay of Bengal.
$!%
-lmost e4ery year the .hilabati causes flooding, 2articularly in Banka, 3hir2ai and ;hatal area.
&here is a small reser4oir on the .hilabati near 3hatra known as 3adam 5euli 5am where a canal
from 7ukutmani2ur 3angsabati dam meets.
2eleghai Ri%er
remo4ed. ("ul$ 2013)
2eleghai Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Source
, locatio
n
Baminigram, 8aschim
7edini2ur, 0hargram
subdi4ision, West Bengal,
India
Length !! km (#5 mi+
2eleghai Ri%er originates at Baminigram, near 5udhkundi, under .ankrail 2olice station, in
0hargram subdi4ision of 8aschim 7edini2ur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.. It flows
2ast 3eshiari, 1arayangarh, .abang and 8atash2ur to 9oin the 3asai at &angrakhali under
7ahisadal 2olice station of 8urba 7edini2ur district. &he combined stream is called Haldi. It is !!
kilometres (#5 mi+ long. &he stee2 slo2e of the ri4er in ;u2tamani and .ankrail causes floods. &he
ri4er has been so named by the Modhas.
$!%
Haldi Ri%er
Haldi Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Landmar- Haldia
Source 3asai
, location &angrakhali
Length ) km (!5 mi+
Haldi Ri%er is a tributary of Hooghly ?i4er flowing through 8urba 7edini2ur district . &he 3eleghai
9oins the 3ansai at &angrakhali under 7ahisadal 2olice station in &amluk subdi4ision. &he
combined stream is called Haldi ?i4er. It is ) kilometres (!5 mi+ long.
$!%
It is the last ma9or ri4er to
flow into the Hooghly before the latter flows into the sea. &he Haldi 9oins the Hooghly at the
industrial town of Haldia.
Suarnare-ha Ri%er
:oordinatesA !K""R!8S1 8#K"R"!S6
Suarnare-ha Ri%er .
/
?i4er
.ubarnarekha in 5ecember, 005 at
;o2iballa42ur
Country India
States
0harkhand, West Bengal,
/disha
Triutaries
, left 5ulang ?i4er
, right
3anchi ?i4er, 3harkai,
3arkari ?i4er, ?aru ?i4er,
;arru ?i4er
Cities
:handil, 0amshed2ur,
;hatshila, ;o2iballa42ur
Landmar-s
;etalsud 5am, Hundru Calls,
:handil 5am, ;aludih
Barrage
Source
, location
8iskaJ 1agri near ?anchi,
:hota 1ag2ur 8lateau
, ele4ation *!0 m (,00! ft+
, coordinate
s
"K!8R1 85K!!R6
,outh Bay of Bengal
, location 3irtania 2ort
, coordinate
s
!K""R!8S1 8#K"R"!S6
Length "95 km ()5 mi+
.1/
Basin !8,95! km
(#,"!# s' mi+

.1/
Discharge
, a4erage "9 m
"
Js (!",8)" cu ftJs+
.2/
Discharge else&here .a%erage/
, 3ok2ara "!0 m
"
Js (!0,9)8 cu ftJs+
.3/
Suarnare-ha Ri%er ( + (also called .warnarekha ?i4er+ flows through the
Indian states of 0harkhand, West Bengal and /disha.
Contents
! 6tymology
:ourse
o .! &ributaries
o . Hundru Calls
o ." 8ollution
o .) Clood
" 8ro9ects
o ".! ;etalsud
o ". .ubarnarekha multi2ur2ose 2ro9ect
"..! Mand re'uirements
o "." -gitation against 2ro9ects
) 3irtania 2ort
5 Cilm
* ?eferences
'tymology
-s 2er tradition, gold was mined near the origin of the ri4er at a 4illage named 8iska near ?anchi.
&his is why it was named .ubarnarekha, meaning Dstreak of goldE.
$)%$5%
Megend has it that traces of
gold were found in the ri4er bed. 64en now 2eo2le look for traces of gold 2articles in its sandy
beds. &he name is a combination of two words meaning gold and lineJstreak in Indian languages.
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$#%
Course
-fter originating near 8iskaJ 1agri, near ?anchi, the ca2ital of 0harkhand,
$8%$9%
the .ubarnarekha
tra4erses a long distance through ?anchi
$!0%
.eraikela 3harsawan
$!!%
and 6ast .inghbhum
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districts in the state. &hereafter it flows for shorter distances through 8aschim 7edini2ur district in
West Bengal for 8" kilometres (5 mi+ and Balasore district of /disha. &here it flows for #9
kilometres ()9 mi+ and 9oins the Bay of Bengal near &alsari. &he total length of the ri4er is "95
kilometres ()5 mi+.
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&he basin of the .ubarnarekha is smaller amongst the multi,state ri4er basins in India. &he rain,
fed ri4er co4ers a drainage area of !8,95! km
$!%
Triutaries
&he 2rominent tributaries of the .ubarnarekha are 3harkai, ?oro, 3anchi, Harmu 1adi, 5amra,
3arru, :hinguru, 3arakari, ;urma, ;arra, .ingaduba, 3odia, 5ulunga and 3hai9ori.
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&he 3harkai
meets the .ubarnarekha at .onari (5omuhani+, a neighbourhood of 0amshed2ur.
$!"%
Hundru (alls
Hundru Calls
7ain articleA Hundru Calls
Hundru Calls is created on the course of the .ubarnarekha, where it falls from a height of 98
metres (" ft+. &he s2ectacular scene of water falling from such a great height has been
described as a sight to behold. &he different formations of rock due to the erosion by the
constantly falling of water ha4e added to the beauty of the 2lace.
$!)%$!5%$!*%
/ne significant thing about
Hundru falls is that it is the only 3nick2oint waterfall in India.
Pollution
&he .ubarnarekha 2asses through areas with e@tensi4e mining of co22er and uranium ores. -s a
result of the un2lanned mining acti4ities, the ri4er is getting 2olluted. &he .ubarnarekha has been
the lifeline of tribal communities inhabiting the :hhotanag2ur region and water 2ollution affects
their life style and li4elihood.
$5%
(lood
.e4eral areas in the lower reaches of .ubarnarekha, 2articularly the coastal areas of /disha and
West Bengal are wihin the flood haGard Gone. &he .ubarnarekha in /disha had crossed its
2re4ious Highest Clood Me4el (HCM+ of !. metres ()0 ft+ in 00#, sur2assing the earlier record of
!99#. In 009 .ubarnarekha witnessed flash floods following hea4y rainfall in the u22er catchment
areas of the ri4er.
$!#%$!8%$!9%
5uring flood, large areas of 0aleswar, Bhograi and Balia2al blocks and a
small 2ocket of Basta block in Balasore district of /disha are affected.
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:ertain areas of
7edini2ur in West Bengal are also affected by floods.
$*%
Projects
"etalsud
.unset across ;etalsud reser4oir
;etalsud reser4oir is located across the .ubernarekha, )0 kilometres (5 mi+ east of ?anchi and
about 50 kilometres ("! mi+ from its 2oint of origin. :om2leted in !9#!, this multi,2ur2ose reser4oir
was en4isaged mainly to meet munici2al water demands of ?anchi city and the ad9oining industrial
area. &he height of the dam is "5.5 metres (!!* ft+. &here are two 2ower houses with one unit of
*5 7W each.
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Suarnare-ha multipurpose project
&he .ubarnarekha multi2ur2ose 2ro9ect en4isaged the construction of two dams, one at :handil
across the .ubarnarekha and the other across the 3harkai at Icha near :haibasa, two barrages at
;aludih across the .ubarnarekha and the other across the 3harkai at ;an9ia near -ditya2ur and a
network of canals from these. &hree small storage reser4oirs and a network of canals from these
reser4oirs are in /rissa. .tarted in !98,8", the multi2ur2ose 2ro9ect was 2lanned for irrigation,
hydro2ower generation and water su22ly. While the :handil dam and ;aludih barrage are almost
com2lete, the other com2onents are still incom2lete.
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.ubernarekha Barrage 2ro9ect (West
Bengal+ en4isages construction of a barrage across the .ubarnarekha downstream of :handil
dam and ;aludih barrage near Bhosraghat to irrigate !,!),!98 ha annually in the 7edini2ur district
of West Bengal through a left bank canal and its distribution system co4ering a culturable
command area of 9*,8*0 ha. &he 2ro9ect was taken u2 for construction in the year !995,9*.
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Land re:uirements
&he land re'uirements of the 2ro9ect were substantial. It was estimated that the :handil 5am and
reser4oir re'uired !#,08 hectares of land. /f this ",*0 hectares was ?e4enue Mand and !,0*0
hectares was forestland. &he rest belonged to local adi4asi communities. Icha 5am would ha4e
submerged 8,585 hectares of land in 0harkhand and ),)!5 hectares of land in /rissa. - total of
#,0#5 hectares of this land was 2ri4ate land, !,50 hectares was ?e4enue Mand and 80 hectares
was forestland. &he ;an9ia Barrage re'uired ** hectares of land, of which 50 hectares was
2ri4ate land, !) hectares was ?e4enue Mand and 0 hectares was forestland. ;aludiha Barrage
re'uired !80 hectares of land, of which !50 hectares was 2ri4ate land and "0 hectares was
?e4enue Mand. &he canal network re'uired additional land.
$"%
#gitation against projects
8oor 2lanning for the resettlement of those affected by the dams of the .ubarnarekha
multi2ur2ose 2ro9ect and inade'uate com2ensation 2aid to them resulted in 2ublic agitation
against dam construction. .ome *8,000 2eo2le were affected and "0,000 hectares of farmland
and forest was going to be inundated. - 4ast ma9ority of those affected were the -di4asis. &hose
threatened by the :handil dam 2rotested against the 2ro9ect from its ince2tion in !9#5 and, in
!9#8, some !0,000 of them demonstrated against the dam at the construction site. 8olice
harassment of a 2rotest fast and then 2olice firings on unarmed 2rotesters caused four deaths.
&he 2ro9ect continued ne4ertheless. :handil damEs sluices were closed in and water allowed to fill
u2 the reser4oir.
$)%$5%
2irtania port
7ain articleA 3irtania 2ort
&he ;o4ernment of /disha has signed a memorandum of understanding with :hennai,based
:reati4e 8ort 5e4elo2ment 84t. Mtd. Cor the de4elo2ment of a dee2,water, all,weather 2ro9ect at
3irtania at the mouth of the .ubarnarekha. &he 3irtania 8ort 2ro9ect was being taken u2 on a 50
year build, own, o2erate, share and transfer (boost+ basis. &he de4elo2ment would include a
dedicated rail cum road connection from the 2ort to the 1H 5 and rail network at 0aleswar.
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(ilm
?itwik ;hatak directed a Bengali film .ubarnarekha in !9*5. ;hatakEs films are dee2ly haunted by
the s2ectre of the 2artition of Bengal in !9)#. In the film .ubarnarekha, ;hatak Vhas rendered the
4ery idea of home as a sentimental 2lace on an elusi4e other side that, like the distant, o22osing
banks of the .ubarnarekha ?i4er, symbolically re2resents an idealiGed, and intranscendible,
elsewhere.W
$8%
Churni Ri%er
(?edirected from ?i4er :hurni+
&his article does not cite any references or sources. 8lease hel2 im2ro4e this article by
adding citations to reliable sources. Insourced material may be challenged and remo4ed.
(%3ril 2010)
5iagram of ?i4er :hurni>s e4olution
Ri%er Churni is a ri4er in the 1adia district, West Bengal, India.
$!%
Contents
! :ourse
;eology
" History
) ?eferences
Course
&he ri4er flows through .hibni4as, Hanskhali, Birnagar, -ranghata, ?anaghat, and finally 9oins
?i4er Bagirathi near :hakdaha. Its length is almost 5* km. &he ri4er>s origin is at ".)0 1orth,
88.#0 6ast and its confluence is at ".!" 1orth, 88.50 6ast.
"eology
&he ri4er is in its lower course of flow. ?i4erbed is dum2ed with sediment, and full of small, often
submerged ri4er islands.
History
?i4er :hurni was most 2robably an artificial canal, not a true ri4er. Mocal history says, during !#th
:entury, the 3ing of 1adia (that time 1adia was a kingdom, now a district of West Bengal+ was
7ahara9ah 3rishna :handra. ?i4er :hurni was dug at his orders as a moat against the Bargee,s
or Bergir,s of 7aharashtra. -t that time, there was another im2ortant ri4er here. Its name was
-n9ana. It originated from 0alangi ?i4er, and confluenced with ?i4er Bhagirathi. - distributary
emerged from -n9ana near 0atra2ur (_atra2ur+, and confluenced in Ichamati. -t that time the lower
2art of 7athabhanga was known as Ichamati, same as now. &he flu@ of -n9ana and the distributary
increased with water of the canal. Mater, the distributary was filled u2 artificially, and allu4ial
sedimentation 9ammed the u22er 2art of -n9ana. &he canal, and the lower 2art of -n9ana is todayEs
:hurni. Howe4er in ?enel>s ma2 (!#*0s+ there is no trace of :hurni.
/nly #0 years ago, in the !9"0s, it was the ma9or trade route inside undi4ided Bengal. 1ow, the
ri4er has lost its na4igability.
0chamati Ri%er
0chamati Ri%er
?i4er
Hiew from &aki ;uest House. &he
shores of Bangladesh are 4isible on the
other side of Ichamati ?i4er.
Countries Bangladesh, India
&he lower Ichamati channel flows criss,
cross through India and Bangladesh
0chamati Ri%er (BengaliA +(also s2elt Ichhamati+, is a trans,boundary ri4er which flows
through India and Bangladesh and also forms the boundary between the two countries.
$!%
&he ri4er
is facing the 2roblem of siltation leading to thin flow of water in the dry season and floods in the
rainy season. 6@2erts are handling the situation and remedial matters are being discussed
between the go4ernments of India and Bangladesh.
$%
Contents
! Ichamati flow
Mower Ichamati
o .! ?i4er bed raised
" Immersion of 5urga images
) ?eferences
5 6@ternal links
0chamati flo&
Ichamati ?i4er is now in three 2arts < (!+ &he longer 2art flows from the 7athabhanga ?i4er, a
distributary of the 8adma, and after flowing for 08 km 9oins the 3alindi ?i4er near Hasnabad in
1orth ) 8arganas and 5ebhata in .atkhira 5istrict. (+ /nce the main ri4er west of 5haka and ("+
Ichamati of 5ina92ur. ?ennelEs ma2 of !#*),**, shows the last two ri4ers as one. -ccording to a
number of hydrologists, the three Ichamati ri4ers, in the 2ast, were a single channel.
$!%$%
&he
second ri4er marked abo4e originates south of 0afargan9 o22osite to the mouth of the Hoorsagar
near 1ath2ur factory and runs towards 0oginighat in 7unshigan9. 0oginighat is situated at the
confluence of the 0amuna and the Ichamati. &here are fi4e 2ilgrimage ghats along the ri4er locally
known as 8anchatirtha ghats ,&irthaghat, -gla, .ole2ur, Barunighat and 0oginighat.
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Lo&er 0chamati
&he ,athahanga ?i4er originates from the rightbank of the 8adma, at 7unshigan9 in 3ushtia
5istrict in Bangladesh. It bifurcates near 7a9idia in 1adia 5istrict in India, creating two ri4ers,
Ichamati and :hurni. -fter tra4ersing a length of !9.5 km in India, the Ichamati enters Bangladesh
near 7ubarak2ur. It flows for "5.5 km in Bangladesh and again enters India at 5utta2hulia in
1adia district. It forms the international border between India and Bangladesh for ! km from
-ngrail to 3alanchi, and again from ;oal2ara to the 3alindi,?aimangal outfall into the Bay of
Bengal.
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&he Bhairab once flowed from the ;anges, across the 2resent beds of the 0alangi, and further
eastwards towards Carid2ur. &he Bhairab is no more a 4ery acti4e ri4er. &he 7athabhanga is a
younger stream than 0alangi and it was not till 4ery recently that the ri4er com2leted its 9unction
with the Hooghly by ado2ting the ?i4er :hurni (now its lower reaches+ for its main course. 6arlier
most of the water of the 7athabhanga ran off to the east down the 3umara, :hitra, :oboduk
(Bhairab+, and Ichamati, but all these esca2e routes ha4e been shut off, e@ce2t a small amount for
the Ichamati. &he 2oint to note is that while earlier the ri4ers in the region flowed in a south,
easterly direction, but later some force 2ulled the 0alangi and the 7athabhanga in a south,westerly
direction. &he inference is that it occurred because of a local subsidence, which was acti4e for
some 2eriod 2rior to !#50 and which has since become inacti4e.
$"%
Ri%er ed raised
While the bed of the Ichamati ri4er is !) feet higher than that of the 7athabhanga, that of the
:hurni is lower than 7athabhanga by si@ inches. 5uring the lean 2eriod the le4el of water in the
7athabhanga is higher than that of the 8adma. -s a result, no water enters the Ichamati during
the dry season. /ne of the causes of silting of the ri4er was construction of guard wall for railway
o4er bridge. &he ri4er beds in the area need to be e@ca4ated in order that there is flow of water
during the lean season. .ince this is re'uired to be done both in India and Bangladesh, there is
need for accord on this 2oint. &he matter has been discussed at the ministerial le4el, the area
sur4eyed to ha4e better idea of the 2roblems of the 2eo2le in the affected area, and decisi4e
action is e@2ected in the near future.
$%$)%$5%$*%
&he Ichamati from &aki,.aid2ur
&he ashes of so many burnt bodies ha4e been carried by the ri4er to the blue ocean illimitable.
&he man who e@2ected so much return from his 2lantain trees on the southern side of that green,
and at the bend of the ri4er 2ut bamboo tra2s to catch fish, is lying today on the bank of the
Ichhamati < only his white bones remain, bleached by sunrays. .o many young girls came to the
ri4er for water, and as they grow old their foot2rints are lost` during ceremonies of marriage, of
making the child taste rice for the first time and of in4esting with the holy thread, the festi4als of
5urg2u9a, Mu@mi2u9a` those ladies of so many families 2ass away unnoticed` who knows when
death may embrace usa Mike a dece2ti4e guide 5eath accom2anies us at e4ery bend of life and
then suddenly, mysteriously he re4eals his real character to a child, to an old man, 2erha2s` one
listens to the music of eternity when one s2ots the old flowers or smells the 2ungent fragrance of
herbal 2lants in -utumn. .ome can 4isualise and dream the unlimitable unknown eternity in the
image of the Ichhamati ri4er during the turbulent rainy season.
$#%
Bihutihushan Bandopadhyay
&he ri4er Gone also faces the 2roblem of industrial 2ollution and forcible occu2ation of land by
2eo2le. -rresting en4ironmental haGards resulting from lack of sanitation facilities, encroachment,
groundwater contamination like arsenic 2ollution, destruction of a'uatic flora, fauna are some of
the burning 2roblem of the areas that needs to be tackled through 2artici2atory mechanism.
$%
Ichhamati ri4er and its branches form a large o@bow lake com2le@ near Bangaon in 1orth ),
8araganas district. Besides agricultural and anthro2ogenic stresses, weed infestation 2articularly
with water hyacinth (6ichhornia crassi2es+ is a ma9or concern because it is co4ering the surface of
lake waters.
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0mmersion of Durga images
-t the end of 5urga 8u9a the immersion ceremony in the Ichamati offers a uni'ue s2ectacle along
the India,Bangladesh ri4er border. &he Ichhamati ri4er, which acts as a natural border between the
two countries, becomes the scene of tremendous re4elry on this day, when boats crammed with
2eo2le from both countries con4erge here to immerse their res2ecti4e idols. Boats of all sha2es
and siGes can be seen on the ri4er, as far as the eye can see Y each one flying the flag of its
res2ecti4e country. It is the only day during the year when border 2atrolling is rela@ed and 2eo2le
can cross o4er to the other side of the ri4er. While earlier, after immersing their idols, 2eo2le could
e4en disembark from their boats on the other side, restrictions im2osed by border officials in the
last few years has 2ut an end to this 2ractice.
$9%
2alindi Ri%er
2alindi Ri%er
?i4er
Countries India, Bangladesh
State West Bengal
2alindi Ri%er (BengaliA + is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and around the .undarbans in 1orth
) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal, bordering on .atkhira 5istrict of
Bangladesh.
$!%
&he Ichamati breaks u2 into se4eral distributaries below Hingalgan9 the chief of which are the
?aimangal, Bidya, 0hilla, 3alindi and 0amuna. &hese fan out into wide estuaries in the
.undarbans.
$%
Hooghly Ri%er
&his article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. ?ele4ant discussion may be
found on the talk 2age. 8lease hel2 im2ro4e this article by introducing citations to
additional sources. ((ebruar$ 2012)
&his article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear ecause it has
insufficient inline citations. 8lease hel2 to im2ro4e this article by introducing more 2recise
citations. ((ebruar$ 2012)
7a2 of Hooghly ?i4er
Hooghly ?i4er 4iewed o4er the town of Bally, Howrah.
&he Hooghly Ri%er (Bengali , )ugliB -ngliciGed alternati4ely s2elled )oogli or )ugli+ or the
Bh)girathi$Hooghly, called >;anga> traditionally, is an a22ro@imately *0 kilometres (!*0 mi+ long
distributary of the ;anges ?i4er in West Bengal, India. It s2lits from the ;anges as a canal in
7urshidabad 5istrict at the Carakka Barrage. &he town of Hugli,:hinsura, formerly Hooghly, is
located on the ri4er, in the Hooghly (district+.
$!%
&he origins of the )ooghl$ name are uncertain,
whether the city or the ri4er was named first.
Contents
! :ourse
o !.! Har4est Cields of Bengal
Hooghly tidal bore
" History
) 6conomics
5 ;allery
* In literature
# .ee also
8 ?eferences
9 6@ternal links
Course
&he Carakka Barrage is a dam that di4erts water from the ;anges into a canal near the town of
&ildanga in 7alda district. &his su22lies the Hooghly with ade'uate water e4en in the dry season.
It 2arallels the ;anges, 2ast 5hulian, until 9ust abo4e 0ahangir2ur where the canal ends and the
ri4er takes its own course. 0ust south of 0ahangir2ur it lea4es the ;anges area and flows south
2ast 0iagan9 -Gimgan9, 7urshidabad, and Baharam2ur. .outh of Baharam2ur and north of 8alashi
it used to form the border between Bardhaman 5istrict and 1adia 5istrict, but while the border has
remained the same the ri4er is now often east or west of its former bed. &he ri4er then flows south
2ast 3atwa, 1a4adwi2 and 3alna. -t 3alna it originally formed the border between 1adia 5istrict
and Hooghly 5istrict, and then further south between Hooghly 5istrict and 1orth ) 8arganas
5istrict. It flows 2ast Halisahar, :hunchura, 3onnagar, and 3amarhati. &hen 9ust before entering
the twin cities of 3olkata (:alcutta+ and Howrah, it turns to the southwest. -t 1ur2ur it enters an
old channel of the ;anges and turns south to em2ty into the Bay of Bengal. &wo of its well known
tributaries are 5amodar and ?u2narayan.
Har%est (ields of Bengal
&he Hooghly ?i4er from the Har4est Cields of Bengal, c. !905
&he scenery along the banks of the Hooghly 4aries considerably. Crom the sea nothing but
sandbanks and mud formations co4ered with coarse herbage at first greet the eye, then as the
ri4er narrows, culti4ated rice fields and slee2y hamlets re2osing within the foliage of beautiful
gro4es, render the 4iew at once 2leasing and 2ictures'ue.
Hooghly tidal ore
&he tide runs ra2idly on the Hugli, and 2roduces a remarkable e@am2le of the flu4ial 2henomenon
known as a Ftidal bore.F &his consists of the head,wa4e of the ad4ancing tide, hemmed in where
the estuary narrows suddenly into the ri4er, and often e@ceeds # feet (.! m+ in height. It is felt as
high u2 as :alcutta, and fre'uently destroys small boats. &he difference from the lowest 2oint of
low,water in the dry season to the highest 2oint of high,water in the rains is re2orted to be 0 feet
!0 inches (*."5 m+. &he greatest mean rise of tide, about !* feet ().9 m+, takes 2lace in 7arch,
-2ril or 7ay , with a declining range during the rainy season to a mean of !0 feet (".0 m+, and a
minimum during freshets of " feet * inches (!.0# m+.
History
In its u22er reaches the ri4er is generally known as the BhQgirathi, until it reaches Hooghly. &he
word BhQgirathi literally means Fcaused by BhagirathaF, a mythical .agar 5ynasty 2rince who was
instrumental in bringing the ri4er ;anges from the hea4ens on to the earth, in order to release his
*0,000 grand,uncles from a curse of the saint 3a2ila.
&he ri4er was an im2ortant trans2ortation channel in the early history of Bengal, and later with the
colonial trading 2orts. &he ri4er>s 2resence is one of the reasons chosen by the British to settle
there at :alcutta. &he 5utchJCrench colony at :handannagar on the Hooghly was once the ri4al of
British :alcutta, but was ecli2sed by :alcutta in the colonial wars of the !8th century. &he ri4er
banks hosted se4eral battles and skirmishes towards the start of the colonial era, including the
Battle of 8lassey 8alashi, as well as earlier wars against 7aratha raiders. /n eastern bank lie
many historic and wealthy towns like 7urshidabad, 0angi2ur and Tiagan9.
In !9#), the Carakka Barrage began di4erting water into the Hooghly during the dry season so as
to reduce the silting difficulties at 3olkata>s 2ort.
Mike the rest of the ;anges, the BhQgirathi,Hooghly is considered sacred to Hindus, and its water
is considered holy.
'conomics
0ubilee Bridge on Hooghly ?i4er between 1aihati and Bandel
&he BhQgirathi,Hooghly ri4er system is an essential lifeline for the 2eo2le of West Bengal. It is
through this ri4er that the 6ast India com2any sailed in to Bengal and established their trade
settlement , :alcutta, which later grew u2 to be one of the greatest cities of the world and ca2ital of
the erstwhile British India. 8eo2le from other countries like Crench, 5utch, 8ortuguese, etc. all had
their trade settlement by the banks of this ri4er.
&he ri4er 2ro4ides 2erennial su22ly of water to the 2lain of West Bengal for irrigation and human =
industry consum2tion. &he ri4er is na4igable and the ma9or trans2ort system in the region with a
huge traffic flow. &he ri4er is also 2olluted. Cor a long time, the :alcutta 8ort was the biggest 2ort
of India. &hough in the 2ast its significance had gone down, but recently it had again came u2 to
the "rd 2osition in the list of Indian 8orts. &he fish from the ri4er are im2ortant to the local
economy.
&he modern container 2ort of Haldia, on the intersection of lower Hooghly and Haldi ?i4er, now
carries much of the region>s maritime trade. /ne new 2ort will be built in the dee2 sea to reduce
load on :alcutta 2ort.
&he Hooghly ri4er 4alley was the most im2ortant industrial area of erstwhile state of Bengal. 5ue to
declining 9ute industry, the 2rime industry of this region, it lost its glory and 2artitioning of Bengal.
But still it is one of the biggest industrial areas of India. 6@ce2t 3olkata and Howrah it has number
of small cities which forms the ;reater 3olkata -gglomeration, the second biggest Indian city and
former ca2ital.
.e4eral bridges run o4er the Hooghly at 3olkata < Howrah Bridge, Hidyasagar .etu, Hi4ekananda
.etu, 1i4edita .etu (second Hi4ekananda Bridge+, 0ubilee Bridge(chinsurah+ and Iswar ;u2ta
.etu (Banshberia+.
,atla Ri%er
,atla Ri%er
?i4er
.7atla ?i4er (:anning+
Country India
State West Bengal
Landmar-s :anning, Basanti
,atla Ri%er (BengaliA + forms a wide estuary in and around the .undarbans in .outh )
8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
&he main stream of the 7atla ?i4er is di4ided into two arms near 8urandar. /ne 2asses through
3ultali,;aranbose and then 2asses through the .undarbans. &he other 2asses through Basanti,
8athankhali, .ur9yaberia, 7as9idbati and then meets Bidyadhari ?i4er.
$!%
Materal connections of the 7atla system on the west are Belladonna ?i4er, 3ultala ?i4er, the
8iyali,1abi2ukur ?i4er, the Baincha2i 3hal, the 3aikalmari ?i4er, the .uia ?i4er, the 5ulibhasani
;ang, and the ;okhaltali ;ang, /n the eastern side the main connections with the ;osaba and
?aimangal systems are more intricate and many of the channels are yet to be named. &he
im2ortant channels in this belt are ?u2khali 3hal, 8athankhali 1adi, 8irkhali 1adi, ;aGikhali 3hal,
8anchmukhani 3hal, 7ayanadi 3hal, 7ayadi2 ?i4er, Bhangaduni ?i4er, 3alindi ?i4er, 3algachia
?i4er, ?aimangal ?i4er, 0hilla ?i4er, ;onna ?i4er, and the Harinbhanga ?i4er.
$%
-n aborti4e attem2t was made to establish 8ort :anning on the 7atla in !8*0s.
$"%
-bout "00,000 2ilgrims take a di2 at the confluence of the -di ;anga and 7atla ri4ers at .outh
Bishnu2ur 4illage on 7akar .ankranti day.
$)%
5uring the monsoons the 7atla becomes so turbulent that it becomes im2ossible for boats to ferry
2eo2le. -t the same time, the 7atla has become so silted that during the dry season boats cannot
come near the 9etties and ha4e to be stationed 500 yards away from the 9etty.
$5%
Mong stretches of
the 7atla ha4e embankments to 2rotect 4illages in the surrounding areas from flooding.
$*%
- *)) m road bridge across the 7atla, was inaugurated by Buddhadeb Bhattacha9ee, :hief
7inister, in 0anuary 0!!. It links :anning with Basanti.
$#%$8%
&he bridge is located at K!8R0S1
88K)0R)*S6.
"osaa Ri%er
Cor 4illage with the same name, see ;osaba.
"osaa Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
"osaa Ri%er (BengaliA + is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and around the .undarbans in
.outh ) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
&he ;osaba ?i4er, formed by the confluence of the ?aimangal and the 7atla ri4ers, has a broad
estuary to the sea (Bay of Bengal+.
$
Saptamu-hi Ri%er
Saptamu-hi Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Length 80 km (50 mi+
Saptamu-hi Ri%er (BengaliA + is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and around the .undarbans in
.outh ) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
&he .a2tamukhi originates near .ultan2ur and flows between 3ul2i and 7athura2ur blocks. It has
a connection with the 7uri ;anga ?i4er and 5eogra 3hal. It falls to the Bay of Bengal with a wide
mouth after tra4ersing about 80 kilometres (50 mi+.
$!%
Hariahanga Ri%er
(?edirected from Haribhanga ?i4er+
Hariahanga Ri%er
?i4er
Countrie
s
India West Bengal,
Bangladesh
Hariahanga Ri%er (BengaliA ! +(also s2elt Haribhanga+ is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and
around the .undarbans in 1orth ) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal, bordering
on .atkhira 5istrict of Bangladesh.
&he Ichamati breaks into se4eral distributaries below Hingalgan9 the chief of which are the
?aimangal, Bidya, 0hilla, 3alindi and 0amuna.
$!%
It follows the international boundary between India
and Bangladesh. &he .outh &al2atti Island is located at the mouth of the Hariabhanga ri4er.
$%$"%
Piyali Ri%er
Piyali Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Piyali Ri%er (BengaliA " + is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and around the .undarbans in .outh
) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
&he 8iyali lea4es the Bidyadhari ?i4er !) kilometres (8.# mi+ below Bamanghata (&il9ala+ and flows
south and south,west till it 9oins the 7atla ?i4er about " kilometres (0 mi+ below :anning.
$!%
&he
8iyali links to the 7atla through the 3ultala gang which also links to the &hakuran.
$%
&he .undarbans area is intersected by an intricate network of interconnecting waterways, of which
the larger channels are often !.* kilometres (0.99 mi+ or more in width and run in a north,south
direction. &hese waterways now carry little fresh water as they are mostly cut off from the ;anges,
the outflow of which has shifted from the Hooghly,Bhagirathi channels 2rogressi4ely eastwards
since the se4enteenth century. &his is due to subsidence of the Bengal Basin and a gradual
eastward tilting of the o4erlying crust.
$"%
&he 8iyali is hea4ily silted and most of it has been
con4erted to low culti4ated land, lea4ing only a narrow channel.
$)%
Tha-uran Ri%er
Tha-uran Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Tha-uran Ri%er (BengaliA # $ + (also called 0amira+ is a tidal estuarine ri4er that forms a wide
estuary in and around the .undarbans in .outh ) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West
Bengal.
It originates near 0aynagar and has a number of connections with the .a2tamukhi and forms the
boundary between 7athura2ur and 0aynagar blocks.
$!%
&he &hakuran system is 4ery wide near the sea face. &he ma9or lateral branches of the &hakuran
system on the western side are the 3adrakhali 3hal, the 5amdama 3hal, the 7oni ?i4er, the
8ukchara, the ?aidighi, the .hibua ;ang, the 8akhirali 3hal, and the ?oss :reek,.&he link channel
on the eastern side are mostly meander loo2s, such as the Baincha2i 3hal, the ;ura 3hal, the
3aikalmari,-9malmari,.uia ?i4er, the 5ulibhasani ;ang, and the :hulkati gang. &hese loo2s are
interconnected amongst themsel4es by an intricate mesh of tidal channels.
$%
8arts of the forested area around the &hakuran are 2rotected. &hey retain their natural mangro4e
habitat. &he area east of the &hakuran falls under the core area of the .undarbans &iger ?eser4e ,
an area where no access is generally allowed to casual bird,watchers or tourists.
$"%
In certains 2arts the areas around the &hakuran are 2rotected by embankments, which are at
times breached by tidal floods.
$)%
Raimangal Ri%er
Raimangal Ri%er
?i4er
State West Bengal
Raimangal Ri%er (BengaliA ! + is a tidal estuarine ri4er in and around the .undarbans in
.outh ) 8arganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal and .atkhira 5istrict in Bangladesh.
&he Ichamati breaks u2 into se4eral distributaries below Hingalgan9 the chief of which are the
?aimangal, Bidya, 0hilla, 3alindi and 0amuna. &hese fan out into wide estuaries in the
.undarbans.
$!%
It forms the international boundary between India and Bangladesh for some
distance.
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Torsa
Cor the ri4er in India, see &orsa ri4er.
Torsa
Location
&orsa
Torsa sho4n 4ithin %rg$ll and &ute
;S grid
reference
17#*!"0
Names
"aelic name &orsa
Norse name &orseyJborirsey
,eaning of name F&horir>s islandF (1orse 4ia ;aelic+
#rea and summit
#rea !!" hectares (0.)) s' mi+
#rea ran- !)"
$!%
Highest ele%ation* metres (0" ft+
Population
Population 0
"roupings
0sland group .late Islands
Local #uthority -rgyll and Bute
References
$%$"%$)%$5%
Torsa (occasionally Torsay+ is one of the .late Islands in -rgyll and Bute, .cotland.
&he north end of &orsa with the heights of 5cn :rutagain beyond, seen from .eil
Mying east of Muing and south of .eil, the island was inhabited until the !9*0s. &here is now only
one house on the island, which is used for holiday lets.
$*%
Its main industry is farming, with cattle
brought o4er from the neighbouring island of Muing. &he Muing cattle were bred for their hardiness.
&he island is connected to its smaller 2artner, &orsa Beag (;aelic for little &orsa+. In the bay
beyond is a sus2ected crannog.
&he island is best known for the ruined si@teenth century hunting lodge :aisteal nan :on. &his is
known locally as the :astle of the 5ogs. It is doubtful that the castle would ha4e originally been
built as a hunting lodge, as it is in a 4ery fine defensi4e 2osition built u2on a sheer rocky outcro2
o4erlooking the sea on three sides. Howe4er, o4er time this may ha4e become the final use of the
building before falling into disre2air.
<aldha-a Ri%er
(?edirected from 0aldhaka+
0aldhaka ?i4er in 5ar9eeling district
&he <aldha-a Ri%er (8ronAJ d Xl d k J+ ( &em2lateA % % + is a trans,boundary ri4er with a
length of !9 kilometres that originates from the 3u2u2 or Bitang Make in southeastern .ikkim in
the eastern Himalayas and flows through Bhutan and the 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri and :ooch Behar
districts of West Bengal, India. -t that 2oint the ri4er enters Bangladesh through the Malmonirhat
5istrict and then 9oins with the 5harla ?i4er until the 5harla debouches into the Brahma2utra ?i4er
near the 3urigram 5istrict. 5ue to the ri4er>s wandering o4er se4eral international borders, only a
small length of the ri4er lies within Bangladesh.
$!%

Contents
! History
6@ternal links
" ?eferences
) .ee also
History
&he 0aldhaka ?i4er is formed by the con9unction of three streams at Bindu, the end 2oint of the
0aldhaka 8olice .tation at 5ar9eeling district in West Bengal. &he three streams are known as
Bindu 3hola, 5udh 8okhri and 0aldhaka that originates from the 3u2u2 Make, a small glacial lake
in .ikkim. &he combined streams meet at Bindu to form the 0aldhaka ?i4er, thus forming a ri4erine
boundary with India and Bhutan in the left bank. &he main tributaries that 9oin the ri4er in its right
bank are the 7urti, the 1aksal 3hola, the .utunga and the 0arda in the lower reach. &he 5iana,
?ehti,5uduya and 7u9nai are the main left bank tributaries.
&he ri4er flows through the three 1orth Bengal districts of 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri and :ooch Bihar.
&he entire watershed is the most fertile agricultural Gone along with the &eesta Basin. &he u22er
course is famous for cro2s like ginger, medicinal herbs and fruits like oranges and 2omegranate.
&he middle course com2rising 0al2aiguri district is entirely tea and corn dominated and the lower
course is dominated by rice, 9ute and tobacco. &he inter,ri4er formed lands are culti4ated with
cro2s like bamboo and mat sticks. In the lower basin, the inter,ri4er lands are culti4ated with
banana.
&he ri4er enters Bangladesh at ;hoksadanga district to meet the Brahma2utra or the 0amuna as it
is known there.
Raid)- Ri%er
(?edirected from ?aidak+
Raid)- Ri%er9!ang Chhu
?elief ma2 showing the 2assage of the ?aidak ?i4er
into the larger Brahma2utra
,outh Brahma2utra ?i4er
Progression
&him2hu, ?in2ung 5Gong, :hukha
hydel 2ro9ect, &ala hydel 2ro9ect,
&ufangan9
Basin
countries
Bhutan, India, Bangladesh
Length "#0 kilometres
&he Raida- Ri%er (also called !ang Chhu or !ong Chhu in Bhutan+ is a tributary of the
Brahma2utra ?i4er, and a trans,boundary ri4er. It flows through Bhutan, India and Bangladesh.
Contents
! :ourse
o !.! Bhutan
o !. West Bengal and Bangladesh
:hukha hydel 2lant
" ?eferences
Course
Bhutan
&he Wang :hhu, or ?aidQk, rises in the Himalayas. In its u22er reaches it is also known as the
&him2hu :hhu. &he main ri4er is a ra2id stream, running o4er a bed of large boulders. Between
&him2hu and the confluence with the 8aro :hhu, the course of the ri4er is not se4erely confined
but, after lea4ing the confluence, it runs through a narrow defile between 4ery stee2 cliffs. It
subse'uently flows southeast through a com2arati4ely o2en 4alley, its course strewn with large
boulders against which the water foams 4iolently. It is 9oined by se4eral small tributaries flowing
from nearby mountains. 0ust abo4e 8aro 5Gong a considerable feeder, the &a :hhu, 9oins it from
the left. &o the west, the Ha :hhu drains into the Wong :hhu. -t &ashichho 5Gong the bed of the
ri4er is about ,!! metres (*,959 ft+ abo4e sea le4el and at the 2oint of its e@it in the 5ooars its
ele4ation is only 90 metres ("00 ft+.
$!%$%
!est Bengal and Bangladesh
7a2 of ri4ers of West Bengal
It debouches into the 2lains in 0al2aiguri district and then flows through :ooch Behar district in
West Bengal. &he ?aidak confluences with the Brahma2utra at chainage "# km in 3urigram
5istrict in Bangladesh,
$"%$)%$5%$*%
where it is sometimes referred to 5udhkumar ?i4er.
$#%
&he total length of the main ri4er is "#0 kilometres ("0 mi+ but along with its tributaries, it co4ers a
length of nearly *!0 kilometres ("80 mi+ in Bhutan alone.
$!%$8%
Chu-ha hydel plant
&he ""*7W :hukha hydel 2ro9ect, which harnesses the waters of the Wang :hhu or ?aidak
?i4er, was historically one of the largest single in4estments undertaken in Bhutan, and it
re2resented a ma9or ste2 toward e@2loiting the country>s huge hydroelectric 2otential. It was built
by India on a turnkey basis, with India 2ro4iding *0L of the ca2ital in a grant and )0L in a loan at
highly concessional terms and conditions. In the arrangement, India recei4es in turn all the
electricity generated from the 2ro9ect in e@cess of BhutanEs demand at much chea2er 2rices than
IndiaEs generation cost from alternati4e sources. Mocated between &him2hu and the Indian border,
a )0 metres (!"0 ft+ di4ersion dam was built at :himakoti 4illage, !.* kilometres (0.99 mi+
u2stream of the confluence of the &i :hhu and Wong :hhu ri4ers. Crom the dam water was
di4erted through *.5 kilometres ().0 mi+ long tunnels to a fall of more than "00 metres (980 ft+ to
:hukha 2ower house for generation of electricity. :onstruction started in !9#) and com2leted in
!98*,88.
$9%$!0%$!!%$!%$!"%
San-osh Ri%er
(?edirected from .ankosh+
San-osh (also ;adadhar and .4arnakosha+ is a ri4er that rises in northern Bhutan and em2ties
into the Brahma2utra in the state of -ssam in India. In Bhutan, it is known as the 8una &sang :hu
below the confluences of se4eral tributaries near the town of Wangdue 8hodrang. &he two largest
tributaries are the 7o :hhu and 8ho :hhu, which flow together at 8unakha. &he 8unakha dGong,
which is situated immediately abo4e the confluence of the two ri4ers, is one of the most beautiful
dGongs in Bhutan and the winter residence of the :entral 7onk Body. &he u22er reaches of the
8ho :hhu are susce2tible to ice blockages, and the dGong has been damaged on se4eral
occasions by glacial outburst floods (;M/C+. -t Wangdue 8hodrang, (altitude !"*) m+, the ri4er is
9oined by the west flowing 5ang :hhu and it enters a 2reci2itous gorge. &he highway running
south from Wangdue 8hodrang to 5agana follows the ri4er for much of its course. 1ear the town
of &akshay is the confluence with the west flowing Hara :hhu. &he last ma9or Bhutanese tributary
is the 5aga :hhu.
,ahananda Ri%er
:oordinatesA )K9R)S1 88K!8R!)S6
,ahananda Ri%er
?i4er
States West Bengal, Bihar
Triutaries
, right 7echi ?i4er, 3ankai ?i4er
Cities .iliguri, Ingra9 BaGar
Landmar-
7ahananda Wildlife
.anctuary
Source Himalayas
,outh ;anges
, location
;odagiri, 1awabgan9
5istrict, Bangladesh
, coordinate
s
)K9R)S1 88K!8R!)S6
Length "*0 km () mi+
&he ,ahananda Ri%er (8ronAJ m h n nd or m h n nd J+ ( 1e2aliA , HindiA
, BengaliA + is a trans,boundary ri4er that flows through the Indian states of
West Bengal and Bihar, and Bangladesh. ?ight bank tributary 7echi forms 2art of 1e2al>s eastern
boundary with West Bengal and the 3ankai crosses out of 1e2al.
Contents
! :ourse
o !.! Basin data
o !. &ributaries
History
" ?eferences
Course
&he 7ahananda originates in the HimalayasA8agla9hora Calls on 7ahaldiram Hill near :himli, east
of 3urseong in 5ar9eeling district at an ele4ation of ,!00 metres (*,900 ft+.
$!%$%$"%
It flows through
7ahananda Wildlife .anctuary and descends to the 2lains near .iliguri. It touches 0al2aiguri
district.
$%$)%
It enters Bangladesh near &entulia in 8anchagarh 5istrict, flows for " kilometres (!.9 mi+ after
&entulia and returns to India.
$5%
-fter flowing through Ittar 5ina92ur district in West Bengal and
3ishangan9 and katihar district in Bihar, it enters 7alda district in West Bengal.
$*%$#%
&he 7ahananda
di4ides the district into two regions Y the eastern region, consisting mainly of old allu4ial and
relati4ely infertile soil is commonly known as Barind (Borendro4omee+, and the western region,
which is further subdi4ided by the ri4er 3alindri into two areas, the northern area is known as F&al.F
It is low lying and 4ulnerable to inundation during rainy seasonB the southern area consists of 4ery
fertile land and is thickly 2o2ulated, being commonly known as F5iaraF.
$8%
It 9oins the ;anges at ;odagiri in 1awabgan9 district in Bangladesh.
$!%
Basin data
&he total length of the 7ahananda is "*0 kilometres (0 mi+,
$9%
out of which ") kilometres
(0! mi+ are in India and "* kilometres ( mi+ are in Bangladesh.
&he total drainage area of the 7ahananda is 0,*00 s'uare kilometres (8,000 s' mi+ out of which
!!,5"0 s'uare kilometres (),)50 s' mi+ are in India.
$!%
Triutaries
&he main tributaries of the 7ahananda are Balason, 7echi, ?atwa, 3ankai.
$!%
In the .iliguri area it
has three tributaries called the &rinai, ?anochondi and the 2air of :hokor and 5auk taken as a
single tributary.
$%
History
&he 3osi (3ausiki+, which flows through the northeastern Bihar and 9oins the ;anges at a 2oint
much higher u2 than ?a9mahal, originally ran eastward and fell into the Brahma2utra. &he channel
of the 3osi, therefore, must ha4e been steadily shifting toward the west, right across the whole
breadth of 1orth Bengal. &here was a time when the 3osi and the 7ahananda 9oined the 3aratoya
and formed a sort of ethnic boundary between 2eo2le li4ing south of it and the 3ochs and 3iratas
li4ing north of the ri4er.
$!0%
Teesta Ri%er
?i4er &eesta
7a2 showing &eesta ?i4er in 1orthern Bangladesh
&he Teesta Ri%er (8ronAtiA st + or Tista (1e2aliA , Hindi , Bengali &+ is said to be
the lifeline of the Indian state of .ikkim, flowing for almost the entire length of the state and car4ing
out 4erdant Himalayan tem2erate and tro2ical ri4er 4alleys. &he ri4er then forms the border
between .ikkim and West Bengal before 9oining the Brahma2utra as a tributary in Bangladesh.
&he total length of the ri4er is "09 km (!9 mi+
$!%
It drains an area of !,5)0 kmN. Before a large
2art of this was situated in 1e2al. But after the .ugauli &reaty it was acceded to British India.
Contents
! :ourse
;eogra2hy
" :hanges in course of ri4ers
) 8ro2osed dams
5 :limate and tectonics of &eesta ?i4er
* ?eferences
# 6@ternal links
Course
&he &eesta ?i4er originates from the 8ahunri (or &eesta 3angse+ glacier abo4e #,0*8 m
(",!89 ft+, and flows southward through gorges and ra2ids in the .ikkim Himalaya.
$%
It is fed by
ri4ulets arising in the &hangu, _umthang and 5onkia,Ma ranges. &he ri4er then flows 2ast the town
of ?ang2o where the ?ang2o ?i4er 9oins, and where it forms the border between .ikkim and West
Bengal u2 to &eesta BaGaar. 0ust before the &eesta Bridge, where the roads from 3alim2ong and
5ar9eeling 9oin, the ri4er is met by its main tributary, the ?angeet ?i4er. -t this 2oint, it changes
course southwards flowing into West Bengal. &he ri4er hits the 2lains at .e4oke, km (!) mi+
north of .iliguri, where it is s2anned by the :oronation Bridge linking the northeast states to the
rest of India. &he ri4er then courses its way to 0al2aiguri and then to ?ang2ur 5istrict of
Bangladesh, before finally merging with the Brahma2utra ?i4er at Culchori.
$"%
"eography
&eesta ?i4er flowing across the length of .ikkim is fed by melting mountain snow and rain and
meets ?angeet ?i4er at the border between .ikkim and West Bengal
&hrough its course, the &eesta ri4er has car4ed out ra4ines and gorges in .ikkim meandering
through the hills with the hill station of 3alim2ong lying 9ust off the ri4er. Hariegated 4egetation can
be seen along this route. -t lower ele4ations, tro2ical deciduous trees and shrubs co4er the
surrounding hillsB al2ine 4egetation is seen at the u22er altitudes. &he ri4er is flanked by white
sand which is used by the construction industry in the region. Marge boulders in and around the
waters make it ideal for rafting enthusiasts.
Between ?ang2o town and the railway bridge (2o2ularly called Moha2ul or iron bridge+ on it as it
enters the 2lains at .e4oke, the &eesta flows with a 4ery strong current, ideal for white ri4er rafting.
&owns like &eesta BaGaar and 7elli ha4e facilities for grou2 rafting. &hough the ri4er looks
innocuous, the underlying current is 4ery strong. In !9!5, ;.8. ?obertson, the then 7unici2al
6ngineer of 5ar9eeling, drowned after losing control of the boat in the turbulence while sur4eying
the ri4er. &he boat struck a 2artially hidden boulder and was sucked in by a whirl2ool, lea4ing no
trace of the occu2ants.
5uring the monsoons, this humble ri4er distends its banksB both in siGe and turbulence. Mandslides
in this region often dam u2 2arts of the ri4er in this season.
Changes in course of ri%ers
0ames ?ennell>s !##* ma2 shows an earlier flow of the &eesta ?. meeting the ;anges ?. in three
channels before a de4astating flood in !#8# changed its course
;reat changes ha4e taken 2lace in the course of some of the ri4ers in Bengal and the ad9oining
areas, during the 2eriod since !500 :6. -lthough 2ositi4e e4idence is lacking, similar changes can
be assumed in the remoter 2ast. &he &eesta ?i4er is one of the ri4ers that has changed o4er the
years.
$)%
&he &eesta earlier ran due south from 0al2aiguri in three channels, namely, the 3aratoya to the
east, the 8unarbhaba in the west and the -trai in the centre. &he three channels 2ossibly ga4e the
name to the ri4er as Trisrota F2ossessed of three streamsF which has been shortened and
corru2ted to &eesta. /f these three, the 8unarbhaba 9oined the 7ahananda. &he -trai 2assing
through a 4ast marshy area known as :halan Beel 9oined the 3aratoya and the united stream
9oined the 8adma (;anges+ near 0afargan9. In the destructi4e floods of !#8#, the &eesta ri4er
forsook its old channel and rushing south,east it 9oined the Brahma2utra.
$)%
0ames ?ennell made a
sur4ey between !#*) and !### and his ma2s are one of the earliest authentic ma2s of Bengal in
e@istence. In these ma2s &eesta is shown as flowing through 1orth Bengal in se4eral branches Y
8unarbhaba, -trai, 3aratoya, etc. -ll these streams combined lower down with the 7ahananda,
now the westernmost ri4er in 1orth Bengal, and taking the name of Hoorsagar finally discharged
into the ;anges at 0afargan9, near modern ;oalundo. &he Hoorsagar ri4er is still in e@istence,
being the combined outfall of the Baral, a s2ill channel of the ;anges, the -trai, the 0amuna or
0amuneswari (not the main 0amuna through which the Brahma2utra now flows+, and the 3aratoya,
but instead of falling into the ;anges, it falls into the main 0amuna, a few miles abo4e its
confluence with the 8adma at ;oalundo.
$5%
Proposed dams
Marge scale sand and stone mining is 2osing great threat to &eesta
India has 2ro2osed a series of dams within the &eesta ri4er system that should 2roduce some
50,000 7W of electricity within the ne@t !0 years.
$*%
With some of the largest sediment loads, the
creation of a reser4oir will lead to an increased 2ressure on an acti4e fault area. &here are
concerns that the building of these dams may lead to ri4er,induced seismicity. 5es2ite such
worries the construction of the dams had started. Minks are sus2ected between the dam
construction and the deadly 0!! earth'uake in .ikkim.
$#%
Climate and tectonics of Teesta Ri%er
&he &eesta ri4er has 2reser4ed good im2rints of climatic and tectonics along its 4alleys and
catchments. &he interrelationshi2 between climate, erosion, de2osition and tectonic acti4ities is not
2ro2erly understood to date. Howe4er, it a22ears that ma9or allu4iation and incision e4ents could
be ascribed to the factors associated with climatic 2rocesses such as strengthening or weakening
of monsoonal 2reci2itation and related flu4ial discharge. &ectonic acti4ity affects sediment flu@es
and is res2onsible for the insetting of younger terracesJfanlobes into the older terracesJfanlobes.
5uring seismic e4ents, landslide acti4ity along the slo2es of ri4er 4alleys influences sediment
deli4ery into the 4alleys, causing the effects of tectonics to be intricately cou2led with that of
climate
$%
&he terraces and flood2lains, 4alley,side slo2es and landslide slo2es, allu4ial cones of different
generations, kettle,sha2ed de2ressions, sickle,sha2ed ranges, le4eled 2lains, undulating 2lains
and dee2ly dissected 4alleys, and glacial and 2eriglacial de2osits are some of the
geomor2hological features obser4ed in the &eesta ri4er basin in .ikkim (7ukho2adhayay, !98+.
&hree 2rominent knick 2oints ha4e been obser4ed along the &eesta ri4er 2rofiles which
corres2ond to the Gones of tectonic discontinuities, the im2ortant ones being the 7:& and 7B&
(e.g. .eeber and ;ornitG, !98"+. ?esults of recent studies indicate that the southern 2art of the
frontal wedge near the foothill Gone is tectonically acti4e along with the formation of 13&, .3& and
7C& structures within the sub,Himalaya in the &eesta basin.
$8%$9%
,ahanadi
(?edirected from 7ahanadi ri4er+
&his article is about the ri4er in central India. Cor the !99) &amil film, see 7ahanadi (film+.
Ri%er ,ahanadi ./
?i4er
&he 7ahanadi
Name origin+ Crom .anskrit F5ahaF
(great+ and F1adiF (ri4er+
Country India
Parts :hhattisgarh, /disha
Regions
5andakaranya, 5akshina
3osala 3ingdom, :oastal
8lains
#dministrati
%e
areas
Betul, ?ai2ur, 0an9gir,
Bilas2ur, .ambal2ur,
.ubarna2ur, Boudh,
-nugul, :uttack,
3endra2ada
Triutaries
, left .eonath, &elen, Ib
Cities
.ambal2ur, :uttack,
.one2ur, Birmahara92ur,
.ubalaya, 3antilo, Boudh
Landmar-s
.atkosia ;orge, .ona2ur
Manka, Hookitola Calls
Source
, location
.ihawa, 5hamtari,
5andakaranya,
:hhattisgarh, India
, ele4ation 890 m (,90 ft+
, coordinates
0.!!K1 8!.9!K6
,outh
, location
Calse 8oint, 3endra2ada,
5elta, /disha, India
, ele4ation 0 m (0 ft+
Length 858 km (5"" mi+
Basin
!)!,*00 km
(5),*# s'
mi+
Discharge for Calse 8oint, /disha
, a4erage ,!!9 m
"
Js (#),8" cu ftJs+
, ma@
5*,#00 m
"
Js (,00,") cu
ftJs+
&he ,ahanadi (6nglishA ;reat ?i4er+ (/riyaA + is a ma9or ri4er in 6ast :entral India. It
drains an area of around !)!,*00 s'uare kilometres (5),#00 s' mi+ and has a total course of 858
kilometres (5"" mi+.
$!%
&he ri4er flows through the states of :hhattisgarh and /disha.
Contents
! .ource
7iddle course
" 7outh
) 1a4igation
5 &rade and agriculture
* Water
# Cloods
8 .ee also
9 ?eferences
!0 Curther reading
!! 6@ternal links
Source
Mike many other seasonal Indian ri4ers, the 7ahanadi too is a combination of many mountain
streams and thus its 2recise source is im2ossible to 2in2oint. Howe4er its farthest headwaters lie *
kilometres (".# mi+ from 8harsiya 4illage )) metres (!,)50 ft+ abo4e sea le4el south of 1agri town
in 5hamtari district of :hhattisgarh.
$%$"%
&he hills here are an e@tension of the 6astern ;hats and
are a source of many other streams which then go on to 9oin the 7ahanadi.
Cor the first 80 kilometres (50 mi+ of its course, the 7ahanadi flows in a northerly direction and
drains the ?ai2ur district and touches eastern 2ortions of ?ai2ur city. It is a rather narrow ri4er at
this stage and the total width of its 4alley does not e@ceed 500<*00 metres.
,iddle course
-fter being 9oined by the .eonath, the ri4er flows in an easterly direction through the remaining
2art of its 9ourney. It is 9oined by the 0onk and Hasdeo ri4ers here before entering into /disha after
co4ering about half of its total length. 1ear the city of .ambal2ur, it is dammed by the largest
earthen dam in the world, the Hirakud 5am. - com2osite structure of earth, concrete and masonry,
the dam measures ) kilometres (!5 mi+ including the 5ykes. It s2ans two hillsB the Mamdungri on
the left and the :handili 5unguri on the right. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in -sia, with a
reser4oir holding #)" s'uare kilometres (8# s' mi+ at full ca2acity, with a shoreline of o4er *)0
kilometres ()00 mi+.
$)%
-fter the formation of :hhattisgarh .tate, the ma9or 2ortion of 7ahanadi basin now lies in
:hhattisgarh. 8resently, only !5) s'uare kilometres (59 s' mi+ basin area of Hasdeo ?i4er in
-nu22ur 5istrict lies in 7adhya 8radesh.
Before the construction of the dam in !95", the 7ahanadi was about a mile wide at .ambal2ur
and carried massi4e amounts of silt, es2ecially during the monsoon. &oday, it is a rather tame ri4er
after the construction of the dam and is 9oined by the Ib, /ng, &el and other minor streams. It then
skirts the boundaries of the Baudh district and forces a tortuous way between ridges and ledges in
a series of ra2ids until it reaches 5hol2ur, /disha. &he ra2ids end here and the ri4er rolls towards
the 6astern ;hats, forcing its way through them 4ia the *) kilometres ()0 mi+ long .atkosia ;orge.
&he .atakosia ;orge ends at Badamul of 1ayagarh. 5ense forests co4er the hills flanking the ri4er
here. &he ri4er enters the /disha 2lains at 1ara9, about !! kilometres (*.8 mi+ from :uttack, where
it 2ours down between two hills that are a mile a2art. - barrage has been constructed here to
regulate the ri4er>s flow into :uttack.
$5%
,outh
&he 7ahanadi ?i4er 5elta at Calse 8oint. 1orth is on the left hand side
&he ri4er tra4erses :uttack district in an east,west direction. 0ust before entering :uttack, it gi4es
off a large distributary called the 3ath9ori. &he city of :uttack stands on the s2it se2arating the two
channels. &he 3ath9ori then throws off many streams like the 3uakhai, 5e4i and .urua which fall
into the Bay of Bengal after entering 8uri district. &he 3ath9ori itself falls into the sea as the 0otdar.
/ther distributaries of 7ahanadi include the 8aika, Biru2a, :hitro2tala ri4er, ;enguti and 1un. &he
Biru2a then goes on to 9oin the Brahmani ?i4er at 3rushnanagar and enters the Bay of Bengal at
5hamra. &he 7ahanadi 2ro2er enters the sea 4ia se4eral channels near 8aradee2 at Calse 8oint,
0agatsingh2ur. &he combined 5elta of the 7ahanadi>s numerous distributaries and the Brahmani
is one of the largest in India.
$)%
Na%igation
8rior to the construction of the Hirakud 5am, the 7ahanadi was na4igable from its mouth u2 to
-rrang, about a !50 kilometres (9" mi+ from its source. Howe4er numerous barrages a2art from
the Hirakud ha4e 2ut an end to that. &oday, boats are restricted to the delta region and the Hirakud
reser4oir.
$*%$#%
Trade and agriculture
7ahanadi ?i4er
&he 7ahanadi is an im2ortant ri4er in the state of /disha. &his ri4er flows slowly for about 900
kilometres (5*0 mi+ and de2osits more silt than any other ri4er in the Indian subcontinent.
&he cities of :uttack and .ambal2ur were 2rominent trading 2laces in the ancient world and the
ri4er itself has been referred to as the 7anada in 8tolemy>s works. Howe4er today the 7ahanadi
4alley is best known for its fertile soil and flourishing agriculture. 8rior to the Hirakud dam, the ri4er
carried more silt than any other ri4er in the Indian subcontinent.
$8%
-s a result its delta had one of
the highest yield 2er acre in the whole of India. &oday agriculture 2rimarily de2ends on a network
of canals that arise from the ri4er. ?ice, oilseeds, and sugarcane are the 2rinci2al cro2s here. -n
e'ually fertile though smaller 4alley also e@ists near ?ai2urd in the ri4er>s early course.
!ater
Tobra bridge 4iew
-n a4erage annual surface water 2otential of **.9 kmd has been assessed in this basin. /ut of
this, 50.0 kmd is utilisable water. :ulturable area in the basin is about 80,000 s'uare kilometres
("!,000 s' mi+, which is )L of the total culturable area of the country.
8resent use of surface water in the basin is !#.0 kmd. Mi4e storage ca2acity in the basin has
increased significantly since inde2endence. Crom 9ust about 0.8 kmd in the 2re,2lan 2eriod, the
total li4e storage ca2acity of the com2leted 2ro9ects has increased to 8.5 kmd. In addition, a
substantial storage 'uantity of o4er 5.) kmd would be created on com2letion of 2ro9ects under
construction. -dditional storage to the tune of o4er !!.0 kmd would become a4ailable on e@ecution
of 2ro9ects under consideration. &he hydro2ower 2otential of the basin has been assessed as *#
7W at *0L load factor.
$9%
-t its 2eak during the monsoon, the 7ahanadi has a discharge rate of ,000,000 cubic feet
(5#,000 m
"
+ 2er second,
$%
almost as much as the much larger ;anges. Howe4er owing to its
seasonal nature the ri4er is mostly a narrow channel flanked by wide sand banks for most of the
year.
$!0%
(loods
&he 7ahanadi was notorious for its de4astating floods for much of recorded history. Howe4er the
construction of the Hirakud 5am has greatly altered the situation. &oday a network of canals,
barrages and check dams kee2 the ri4er well in control. Howe4er hea4y rain can still cause large
scale flooding as e4idenced in .e2tember, 008 when !* 2eo2le died as the ri4er breached its
banks.
In 0!!, .e2tember hea4y down 2our of rain caused flash flood and many mud dwellings in more
than 5 4illages abo4e Hirakud 5am which were ne4er got affected beforeB both in :hhattisgarh
and /disha ha4e melted down due to back water, which could not 2ass through the ri4er.
$!!%
Tangon Ri%er
Tangon Ri%er
?i4er
&angon at -iho
State West Bengal
Tangon Ri%er (also known as &ongon ?i4er+ (BengaliA ' + is a ri4er 2assing through the
Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is tributary of 8unarbhaba ?i4er. It was named
after &ankonath, Gamindar of ?anisankail in &hakurgaon 5istrict.
$!%
-fter originating in West Bengal, it 2asses through 8anchagarh 5istrict, 8irgan9 in ?ang2ur 5istrict,
Bochagan9 in ?a9shahi 5istrict and Biral in 5ina92ur 5istrict in Bangladesh before it flows through
3ushmandi and Bansihari community de4elo2ment blocks of 5akshin 5ina92ur district in West
Bengal.
$!%$%
It re,enters Bangladesh and meets 8unarbha4a ?i4er near ?ohan2ur in 1aogaon 5istrict.
$!%
Punarhaa Ri%er
Punarhaa Ri%er
?i4er
State West Bengal
Length !*0 km (99 mi+
&he Punarhaa (8oonor4oba BengaliA " + is a ri4er of Bangladesh and West Bengal in
India, of total length about !*0 km and a width of "<8 km and its mean de2th is !.9* metres (*.) ft+
It originates from the lowlands of &hakurgaon 5istrict of Bangladesh. &he ri4er>s u22er 2art is a
few kilometres west of -trai. 5ina92ur district town of Bangladesh is situated on the east bank of
the ri4er. It flows through ;angaram2ur and &a2an community de4elo2ment blocks of 5akshin
5ina92ur district of West Bengal.
$!%
-fter flowing to the south, this ri4er meets with the 5he2a ?i4er.
Iltimately it flows into the ;anges
$%

#trai Ri%er
(?edirected from -trai+
#trai Ri%er
#treyee Ri%er
?i4er
Hiew of the -trai ?i4er
State West Bengal
Landmar- Balurghat
,outh :halan Beel
Length "90 km () mi+
This article re6ers to %tre$ee or %trai river7 (or other articles regarding %tre$ee see %tre$ee
(disambiguation)7
(or the video game com3an$8 see %tari
#trai Ri%er (also s2elt as #treyee+ (BengaliA ()J() + flows in West Bengal and northern
2arts of Bangladesh.
In ancient times the ri4er was called -trei and finds a mention in the 7ahabharata. It is linked with
3aratoya ?i4er. It originates in West Bengal and then after flowing through 5ina92ur 5istrict of
Bangladesh, it enters India again.
$!%
It 2asses through 3umargan9 and Balurghat community
de4elo2ment blocks in 5akshin 5ina92ur district.
$%
&he ri4er then renters Bangladesh. It s2lits into
two ri4ers , the ;abura and the 3ankra in 5ina92ur district. It crosses the Barind &ract and flows
into :halan Beel.
$!%
&he ri4er ser4es as a 2erennial source of fishing, e4en though it is often the
cause of flooding in many areas during monsoons.
$"%
&otal length of this ri4er is a22ro@imately )0 miles ("90 km+. 7a@imum de2th of ri4er is 99 feet
("0 m+.
'arly history
&he -trai was formerly one of the greatest ri4ers of north Bengal for it was the main channel by
which the waters of the &eesta discharged into the ;anges. In !#8#, howe4er, the &eesta broke
away from its ancient bed and cut for itself a new and ca2acious channel by which it found its way
into the Brahma2utra. .ince then the -trai has lost its im2ortance and has now few traces of its
former greatness.
It enters the district from ?a9shahi flowing through the :halan Beel and falls into the Baral near the
4illage of 1urnagar. Cormerly, it used to 2ursue a course to the south and east after lea4ing the
:halan Beel till it fell into the 0amunaB but the middle 2ortion of this old channel has been
obliterated by the Baral and the Ichhamati, which, taking off from the 8adma cut across the -trai
and o4erwhelmed it by co2ious de2osit of silt.
&he southern 2ortion of the ri4er in this district can still be traced from its 9unction with the
Ichhamati at BoalmariB it then flows through 5ulai and Bera thana and falls into the 8adma near
?atangan9. &his ri4er 2resents one of the most striking instances of ri4erine changes in the district
of 8abna.
Port of 2ol-ata
(?edirected from 3olkata 8ort+
The Port of 2ol-ata

Hinterland of 3olkata 8ort
Location
Country India
Location 3olkata
Details
;pened !8#0B !)) years ago
;perated y 3olkata 8ort &rust
;&ned y
3olkata 8ort &rust, 7inistry of .hi22ing,
;o4ernment of India
Type of
haror
:oastal breakwater, ri4erine, large
sea2ort
,ain trades
-utomobiles, motorcycles and general
industrial cargo including iron ore,
granite, coal, fertiliGers, 2etroleum
2roducts, and containers
,ajor exports+ Iron ore, leather, cotton
te@tiles
,ajor imports+ Wheat, raw cotton,
machinery, iron = steel
Statistics
#nnual
cargo
tonnage
"9.98 million tonnes (0!,!"+
$!%
#nnual
container
%olume
*00,)* &6Is(0!,!"+
$%
Passenger
traffic
)0,")9 (0!,!"+
$"%
#nnual
re%enue
!)." crore (I.Z!0 million+
Net income #0.) crore (I.Z! million+
!esite
3olkata 8ort &rust
&he 2ol-ata Port Trust (BengaliA + is a ri4erine 2ort in the city of 3olkata, India,
located around !* miles (0" km+ from the sea.
$)%
It is the oldest o2erating 2ort in India, and was
constructed by the British 6ast India :om2any.
&he 8ort has two distinct dock systems , 3olkata 5ocks at 3olkata and a dee2 water dock at
Haldia 5ock :om2le@, Haldia.
In the !9th century 3olkata 8ort was the 2remier 2ort in British India. -fter inde2endence its
im2ortance decreased because of factors including the 8artition of Bengal (!9)#+, reduction in siGe
of the 2ort hinterland and economic stagnation in eastern India.
It has a 4ast hinterland com2rising the entire 6astern India including West Bengal, Bihar,
0harkhand, Ittar 8radesh, 7adhya 8radesh, -ssam, 1orth 6ast Hill .tates and the two landlocked
neighbouring countries namely, 1e2al and Bhutan. With the turn of the century the 4olume of
through2ut has again started increasing steadily.
Contents
! History
Cacilities
o .! 5ock systems
.!.! 3olkata 5ock .ystem (35.+
.!. Haldia 5ock :om2le@ (H5:+
.!." 5ry 5ock
.!.) 8ilotage
.!.5 1a4igational -ids
.!.5.! Mighthouse
.!.5. Might Hessels
.!.5." -utomatic &ide ;auges
.!.5.) .ema2hores
.!.5.5 ?i4er 7arks and Buoys
.!.5.* 5ifferential ;lobal 8ositioning .ystem (5ifferential ;8.+
" /2erations
) .ister 2orts
5 .ee also
* ?eferences
# 6@ternal links
History
&he /ld Cort, the 8layhouse, Holwell>s 7onument from Hiews of :alcutta
Hiew of the :alcutta 2ort in !85
3idder2ore 5ry 5ock, c. !905
3olkata 8ort was set u2 by the British 6ast India :om2any after the com2any recei4ed trading
rights from the 7ughal em2eror -urangGeb.
-n image of the old 2ort of 3olkata.
Collowing the shift of 2ower from the com2any to the British crown, a 2ort commission was set u2
in !8#0. &hough the 2ort was concei4ed to be a commercial 2ort and gateway of eastern India, the
2ort 2layed a 4ery im2ortant role in the .econd World War. It was bombed twice by the 0a2anese
forces. -fter the inde2endence, the :ommissioners for the 8ort of 3olkata was in res2onsibility of
the 2ort till 0anuary !9#5 when 7a9or 8ort &rusts -ct, !9*", came into force. &he 8ort is now run
by a Board of &rustees ha4ing re2resentati4es from the ;o4ernment, &rade Bodies, 4arious 8ort
Isers, Mabor Inions and some nominated members.
(acilities
Doc- systems
&he 3olkata 8ort &rust (3o8&+ manages two se2arate dock agglomerations , the 3olkata 5ock
.ystem (35.+ and the Haldia 5ock :om2le@ (H5:+.
2ol-ata Doc- System .2DS/
It is situated on the left bank of the Hooghly ?i4er at K"R5"S1 88K!8R05S6 about 0" km (!* mi+
u2stream from the sea. &he 2ilotage station is at ;as2erJ .augor roads, !)5 3ilometers to the
south of the 35. (around 58 km from the sea+. &he system consists ofA
$5%
3idder2ore 5ocks (3.8. 5ocks+ A !8 Berths, * Buoys J 7oorings and " 5ry 5ocks
1eta9i .ubhas 5ocks (1... 5ocks+A !0 Berths, Buoys J 7oorings and 5ry 5ocks
Budge Budge ?i4er 7oorings A * 8etroleum Whar4es
-nchorages A 5iamond Harbour, .augor ?oad, .andheads
-2art from this, there are around 80 ma9or ri4erine 9etties, and many minor 9etties, and a large
number of shi2 breaking berths.
Haldia Doc- Complex .HDC/
It is situated at K0R1 88K0*R6 around *0 kilometres ("# mi+ away from the 2ilotage station. &he
com2le@ consists ofA
Im2ounded 5ock. .ystem with ! Berths
" /il 0etties in the ?i4er
" Barge 0etties in the ?i4er for handling /il carried by Barges.
Haldia -nchorage for lash 4essels.
-ll the docks are im2ounded dock systems with locks from ri4er.
Dry Doc-
3o8& has the largest dry dock facility in India a. &hese dry docks caters to the di4erse re2air and
maintenance needs of the 4essels calling on the 6astern 8orts of India. In addition, shi2building
facilities are also a4ailable in these dry docks. -ll the dry docks are inside the im2ounded dock
system. &here are fi4e dry docks of which three are in 3idder2ore 5ock and two are in 1eta9i
.ubhas 5ock.
$)%
5ry 5ocks of 3olkata 8ort &rust (3o8&+
Doc-
Dry Doc-
Numer
Si4e
1eta9i .ubhas
5ock
!
!#.! metres (5*5.0 ft+ @ .8* metres
(#5.0 ft+
1eta9i .ubhas
5ock
!#.! metres (5*5.0 ft+ @ .8* metres

(#5.0 ft+
3idder2ore 5ock !
!*0.0 metres (55.0 ft+ @ !9.5 metres
(*) ft+
3idder2ore 5ock !).95 metres ()*9.0 ft+ @ !9.5 metres
(*) ft+
3idder2ore 5ock "
!0.! metres (""5 ft+ @ !).*" metres
()8.0 ft+
&here is a full,fledged re2air worksho2 including 5iesel 6ngine /4erhauling Init, .tructural .ho2,
Hea4y and Might 7achine .ho2, Corging .ho2, 6lectrical .ho2 and a :hain &estingJ?e2air .ho2
with 500 31 ca2acity &ensile :om2ression &esting 7achine for su22orting 4arious acti4ities in
the dry dock. 3olkata 5ry 5ock = Worksho2 facilities ha4e been awarded I./ 900!A000
certificate in recognition of their e@cellence in 'uality.
Pilotage
:ustoms .2eed Boat in 3olkata
- .hi2 in Hoogly ?i4er at the 8ort of 3olkata
5ue to the constraints of the ri4er (like silting, sandbars etc.+ no seagoing 4essel abo4e 00 ;?&
is allowed to na4igate without a 'ualified 2ilot of the 3olkata 8ort &rust. &he total 2ilotage distance
to 35. is ! kilometres (!"# mi+, com2rising !)8 kilometres (9 mi+ in ri4er and #5 kilometres
()# mi+ in sea, and for H5: is !! kilometres (#5 mi+, com2rising )* kilometres (9 mi+ in ri4er and
#5 kilometres ()# mi+ in sea.
Na%igational #ids
Lighthouse
.agar Mighthouse ( !K"9R1 88K0"R6 + is situated at 7iddleton 8oint on the .agar Island
!.5 kilometres (0.9" mi+ inshore. It is 4isible from a distance of 8 kilometres (!# mi+ in
clear weather.
$)%
5aria2ur Mighthouse ( !K)#R1 8#K5R6 + is situated on the right bank of Hooghly ?i4er
south of ?asul2ur ri4er and about .# kilometres (!.# mi+ inshore. It is 4isible from a
distance of "5 kilometres ( mi+ in clear weather.
$)%
Light Vessels
&here are four unmanned light 4essels to aid in na4igation.
I.;.M.C. located at !K9R5#S1 88K0*R"#.5S6
M.;.M.C. located at !K!R5#S1 88K!0R05S6
&alent W3 M.H. located at !K!#R!S1 88K!!R!#S6
6astern :hannel M.H. located at !K0)R!9S1 88K!!R0#S6
Automatic Tide Gauges
&hese are maintained at &ribeni, ;arden ?each, 5iamond Harbour and Haldia for round,the,clock
recording of tidal data, which is used for the 2rediction of tides and 2re2aration of tide tables by
.ur4ey of India.
Semaphores
&hese are maintained at -kra, 7oya2ur, Hooghly 8oint, Balari, ;angra and .agar for dis2laying
rises of tide for the con4enience of 4arious 4essels na4igating, dredging and sur4eying in the ?i4er
Hooghly. &he sema2hores used to dis2lay the tide le4el at these localities on a mast by the
2osition of the meter and decimeter arms which are manually rotated with the rise and fall of e4ery
decimeter of tidal le4el. Howe4er sema2hores are no more functional and instead, tidal le4els are
broadcast o4er the HHC radio e4ery half an hour in all the abo4e stations e@ce2t at Balari.
River Marks and Buoys
- total of 500 (of which !)0 are lighted+ ?i4er 7arks and Buoys are maintained by the 3o8&.
&hese are e@tremely useful in facilitating night na4igation, 2ilotage and dredging. &hese lights are
o2erated either by electricity, battery or by dissol4ed 7arine -cetylene ;as. &here is also ! boat
buoy, "0 lighted buoys and # unlit buoys marking the na4igational channel from .andheads to
3olkata.
Dierential Glo!al "ositioning System #Dierential G"S$
In the wide estuary, 2osition fi@ing with reference to shore ob9ects to be 4iewed from the deck of a
4essel, is 4ery difficult. In !98" 3o8& introduced the 6lectronic 8osition Ci@ing .ystem F.yledisF for
2osition fi@ing of the 4essels 2lying in the wide estuary of the Hooghly ri4er. &he .hore based
.yledis 8osition Ci@ing .ystem was functioning round the clock with the hel2 of the .yledis
.tations located at Haldia, ?aichak, 5adan2atra Bar and CraGergun9. &he system was effecti4ely
utiliGed for the 2ur2ose of hydrogra2hic sur4ey and dredging. 3o8& has now re2laced the .yledis
8osition Ci@ing .ystem by 5ifferential ;8. (5ifferential ;lobal 8osition Ci@ing .ystem+. &his latest
state,of the art technology 2ro4ides im2ro4ed location accuracy of u2 to !0 cms.
;perations
In the fiscal year 0!!,!, 3olkata 2ort handled )".)8 million metric tons ()#.*#"e!0
*
short tons+
of cargo. &his is significantly less than 5".!)" million metric tons (58.580 million short tons+ of
cargo it handled in 005,0*. Howe4er, the number of 4essels handled at 3olkata 8ort during 0!!,
0! was the highest amongst all Indian 7a9or 8orts. 3o8& handled !*L of the total number of
4essels, which worked at Indian 7a9or 8orts in 0!!,0!. 5uring the fiscal year 0!!,0!, "!8"
4essels called at 3o8&.
$*%
&he a4erage turn around time 2er 4essel was ).)9 days for 3olkata 5ock .ystem and ".99 for
Haldia 5ock :om2le@.
$#%
Terai
(?edirected from &erai region+
Cor other uses, see &erai (disambiguation+.
This article contains special characters6 Without
2ro2er rendering su22ort, you may see 'uestion
marks, bo@es, or other symbols.
-erial 4iew of &erai 2lains near Biratnagar, 1e2al
&he Terai (1e2aliA , tar9:+ is a belt of marshy grasslands, sa4annas, and forests located
south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the .iwalik Hills, and north of the Indo,;angetic 8lain
of the ;anges, Brahma2utra and their tributaries. &he &erai belongs to the &erai,5uar sa4anna
and grasslands ecoregion. In northern India, the &erai s2reads eastward from the _amuna ?i4er
across Himachal 8radesh, Haryana, Ittarakhand, Ittar 8radesh and Bihar. :orres2onding 2arts
of West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and -ssam east to the Brahma2utra ?i4er are called Dooars.
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&he lowland 2lains of the &erai lie at an altitude of between *# and "00 m (0 and 98) ft+.
1orth of the &erai rises the Bhabhar, a narrow but continuous belt of forest about 8<! km (5.0<
#.5 mi+ wide.
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Contents
! 6tymology
;eology
" :limate
) &erai in 1e2al
o ).! Inner &erai
o ). History
o )." 6thnic grou2s
o ).) 6conomy
o ).5 &ourism
5 &erai in India
* ?eferences
# Curther reading
8 6@ternal links
'tymology
In Hindi, the region is called tarQf (+ meaning 6oot-hill.
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In 1e2ali, the region is called tarQi
(+ meaning the lo4-l$ing land8 3lain8 es3eciall$ the lo4-l$ing land at the 6oot o6 the )im9la$as,
south to the border with India.
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1e2alis also call this region 5adhes (1e2aliA +, 2articularly
when noting its ethnic com2osition, which is similar to ad9acent India and unlike the ethnic makeu2
of the hills (1e2aliA , 2ahQrd+. &he region>s name in Irdu is tarQ f ( + meaning lands l$ing
at the 6oot o6 a 4atershed or on the banks o6 a river; lo4 ground 6looded 4ith 4ater8 valle$8 basin8
marsh$ ground8 marsh8 s4am3; meado47
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"eology
&he &erai is crossed by the large 2erennial Himalayan ri4ers _amuna, ;anges, .arda, 3arnali,
1arayani and 3osi that ha4e each built allu4ial fans co4ering thousands of s'uare kilometres
below their e@its from the hills. 7edium ri4ers such as the ?a2ti rise in the 7ahabharat ?ange. &he
geological structure of the region consists of old and new allu4ium, both of which constitute as
allu4ial de2osits mainly of sand, clay, silt, gra4els and coarse fragments. &he new allu4ium is
renewed e4ery year by fresh de2osit brought down by acti4e streams, which engage themsel4es in
flu4ial action. /ld allu4ium is found rather away from ri4er courses, es2ecially on u2lands of the
2lain where silting is a rare 2henomenon.
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&he &erai region has a large number of small and usually seasonal ri4ers, most of which originate
in the .iwalik Hills. &he soil in the &erai is allu4ial and fine to medium te@tured. Corest co4er in the
&erai and hill areas has decreased at an annual rate of !."L between !9#8 and !9#9, and ."L
between !990 and !99!.
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-s the &erai is increasingly deforested, drained and brought under culti4ation, the connection with
wetness fades in contem2orary usage. &erai becomes a geogra2hic, not a hydrogra2hic term, for
districts in the 2lains near or bordering the .iwaliks. - 2ermeable mi@ture of gra4el, boulders, and
sand enables the water table to sink 5<"# m (!*<!! ft+ dee2. &he &erai Gone is com2osed of less
2ermeable layers of clay and fine sediments, bringing groundwater to the surface in s2rings and
wetlands.
&he reduction in slo2e as ri4ers e@it the hills and then transition from the slo2ing Bhabhar to the
nearly le4el &erai causes current to slow and the hea4y sediment load to fall out of sus2ension.
&his de2osition 2rocess creates multi2le channels with shallow beds, enabling massi4e floods as
monsoon,swollen ri4ers o4erflow their low banks and shift channels. &he 008 Bihar flood was
only an e@am2le of recurrent catastro2hes in the &erai.
Climate
Biratnagar= >?@N= AB@'
Climate chart .explanation/
0 C 7 - 7 0 0 - . / 1 5

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-4erage ma@. and min. tem2eratures in K:
8reci2itation totals in mm
#ource< =evo$ageur
7sho&80mperial con%ersion
Chandigarh= CD@N= BB@'
Climate chart .explanation/
0 C 7 - 7 0 0 - . / 1 5

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-4erage ma@. and min. tem2eratures in K:
8reci2itation totals in mm
#ource< >orld >eather ?n6ormation #ervice
7sho&80mperial con%ersion
:om2aring the climates of :handigarh in India at the &erai>s western edge with Biratnagar in
1e2al near the eastern edge illustrates se4eral differencesA
7o4ing inland and away from monsoon sources in the Bay of Bengal, the climate becomes
more continental with a greater difference between summer and winter.
In the far western &erai, which is fi4e degrees latitude further north, the coldest months>
a4erage is "K: (5KC+ cooler.
&otal rainfall markedly diminishes from east to west. &he monsoon arri4es later, is much
less intense and ends sooner. Howe4er, winters are wetter in the west.
Terai in Nepal
In 1e2al, &erai is differentiated into F/uterF and FInnerF &erai.
/uter &erai or 5adhes begins at the southern edge of the .iwalik Hills. In ordinary usage the &erai
e@tends to the border with India, e4en if drier, cleared agricultural land well south of the marshes
may be included. &he /uter &erai of far,western 1e2al consists of 3anchan2ur, 3ailali, Bardiya
and Banke districts. &hese were once called the 1a$a 5uluk and lay on the 2eri2hery of the
-wadh dynasty. -fter 1e2al lost the -nglo<1e2alese War (!8!)<!*+ these districts were anne@ed
by the British in the .ugauli &reaty and returned in !8*0 as reward for 1e2al>s military aid in the
Indian ?ebellion of !85#.
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6ast of Banke the 1e2alese outer &erai is interru2ted where the international border swings north
and follows the edge of the .iwaliks ad9acent to 5eukhuri Halley. Here the /uter &erai is entirely in
Ittar 8radesh>s .hra4asti and Balram2ur districts. 6ast of 5eukhuri the international border
e@tends south again and 1e2al has three more /uter &erai districts 3a2il4astu, ?u2andehi and
1awal2arasi.
In :hitwan district east of 1awal2arasi the international border again follows the southernmost
.iwaliks, 2lacing the outer &erai in Bihar>s West :ham2aran district. &hen the international border
e@tends south and the 1e2alese /uter &erai is continuous across ele4en districts to the country>s
eastern border. &hese additional districts areA 8arsa, Bara, ?autahat, .arlahi, 7ahottari, 5hanusa,
.iraha, .a2tari, .unsari, 7orang and 0ha2a.
&he 00! national census counted !0." million 2o2ulation ()5L of the national total+ in the outer
&erai districts.
0nner Terai
7ain articleA Inner &erai Halleys of 1e2al
Inner &erai (1e2aliA , &hitr: Tar9:+ is also called >>&hitr: 5adhes (1e2aliA +.
It consists of se4en elongated 4alleys (1e2aliA , u2atyakQ+ lying within the .iwalik Hills or
between them and the !,500,,#00 metre 5ahabharat 'ange further north. In India these 4alleys
would be called D@n (HindiA +, for e@am2le 5ehradun. 7ost of these 4alleys e@tend east,west
or ..6,W1W 2arallel to enclosing ranges. &hey are fi4e to ten kilometers wide (north,south+ and
u2 to a hundred kilometers long (east,west+.
1e2al>s Inner &erai 4alleys are (from west to east+A
"ogbudh9 (1e2aliA + in 5adeldhura district north of outer &erai 3anchan2ur
districtB a relati4ely small and unde4elo2ed 4alley near the western border with India.
#urkhet (1e2aliA + in .urkhet district, located north of outer &erai 3ailali and
Bardiya districts.
Deukhur: (1e2aliA +, in 5ang and eastern Banke districts. &he international border
follows the Dudu4a .iwaliks south of this 4alley.
D9ng (1e2aliA +Halley 2arallels 5eukhuri but north of it, also in 5ang and Banke
districts.
1a4al3arasi (1e2aliA + 1awal2ur region of 1awal2arasi district which stretch
from 5aaune 5e4i hill to ;aidakot to the Border of :hitwan 5istrict.
Ahit4an (1e2aliA + occu2ies :hitwan and 7akwan2ur districts. :hitwan district
borders Bihar, India>s West :ham2aran district to the south while 7akwQn2ur lies north of
1e2al>s 8arsa district.
5arin !hol9 (1e2aliA + is a small 4alley in .indhuli district north of outer &erai
.arlahi, 7ahottari and 5hanusa districts.
Idaya2ur (1e2aliA + is in Idaya2ur district north of .iraha and .a2tari.
&he 00! national census counted ." million 2o2ulation (!0L of the national total+ in these se4en
Inner &erai districts (counting Banke district as /uter &erai+. -dding )5L in the outer &erai gi4es
55L of 1e2al>s 2o2ulation li4ing in its &erai districts.
History
&he &erai was hea4ily forested with .al before hea4y logging began in the !9th century,
2articularly for use as railroad slee2ers. Coresters of the British ?a9 were of the o2inion that in
ancient times the &erai was cleared and culti4ated. -fter Buddhism went into decline, the area was
largely abandoned, and 'uickly re,4egetated with shrubs and trees, but took much longer Y
centuries 2erha2s Y for .al forest to return.
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Inner &erai 4alleys historically were agriculturally 2roducti4e but e@tremely malarial. .ome 2arts
were left forested by official decree during the ?ana dynasty as a defensi4e 2erimeter called Ahar
!ose "hadi, meaning 6our kos 6orestB one kos e'uals about " km (!.9 mi+. - British obser4er noted,
F8lainsmen and 2aharis generally die if they slee2 in the &erai before 1o4ember ! or after 0une !.F
British tra4elers to 3athmandu went as fast as 2ossible from the border at ?a@aul in order to reach
the hills before nightfall.
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6@ce2t for indigenous 2eo2les with genetic resistance, a malaria eradication cam2aign in the
!950s using 55& made the Inner &erai habitable for the first time.
'thnic groups
&haru 2eo2le ha4e been li4ing in the &erai for many centuries, and re2utedly had an innate
resistance to malaria. Collowing the malaria eradication 2rogram using 55& in the !9*0s, a large
and heterogeneous non,&haru 2o2ulation settled in the region.
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8ahari farmers from the mid,hills mo4ed to the 2lains in search of arable land including Bahun,
:hhetri and 1ewar. &harus constitute the traditional 2o2ulation in the western &erai. &he eastern
2art has been occu2ied by castes and ethnic grou2s that migrated from India Y the 7adhesi
2eo2le, a term that sometimes also includes the &haru 2eo2le. High caste migrants from the hills
ha4e 2urchased, or otherwise got hold of large landholdings. &ogether with traditional &haru
landlords, they constitute the u22er le4el of the economic hierarchy, which in the rural 2arts of the
&erai is determined to a large e@tent by the distribution and the 4alue of agriculturally 2roducti4e
land. &he 2oor are the landless, or near landless, &erai 5alits, including the 7usahar and :hamar,
as well as the traditional fishermen, the 7allaah, and some of the hill 5alits. In 2articular the
7usahars rarely get other work than hard farm labor.
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'conomy
&he &erai is the most 2roducti4e region in 1e2al with the ma9ority of the country>s industries.
-griculture is the basis of the economy.
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7a9or cro2s include rice, wheat, 2ulses, sugarcane, 9ute,
tobacco, and maiGe. In the eastern districts from 8arsa to 0ha2a they su22ort agro,based
industriesA 9ute factories, sugar mills, rice mills and tobacco factories.
:ities o4er 50,000 2o2ulation in 1e2al>s &erai includeA
,unicipality District
Census
>EED
'conomy
Biratnagar 7orang !**,*#) agro,industry, education, tradeJtrans2ort Hub
Birgan9 8arsa !!,)8) tradeJtrans2ort hub, agro and other industry
5haran .unsari 95,"" tourism hub and destination, education, financial ser4ices
Bharat2ur :hitwan 89,""
agro,industry and food 2rocessing, tourism, health care,
education
Bhim 5utta
3anchan2
ur
80,8"9 trans2ort hub, education, health ser4ices
Butwal ?u2andehi #5,"8)
trans2ort hub, retailing, agro,industry, health care,
education
Hetauda
7akwan2u
r
*8,)8
trans2ort hub, cement factory, large and small,scale
industry
5hangadhi 3ailali *#,))#
0anak2ur 5hanusa *#,!9
trans2ort hub, agro,industry, education, health care,
2ilgrimage site
1e2algan9 Banke 5#,5"5 trans2ort hub, retailing, financial ser4ices, health ser4ices
&riyuga Idaya2ur 55,9! tourism
.iddharthanag
ar
?u2andehi 5,5*9 tradeJtrans2ort hub, retailing, tourist and 2ilgrim ser4ices
(or a more comprehensi%e list= see List of cities in Nepal6
,ahendra High&ay crosses the 1e2al &erai from 3ankarbhitta on the eastern border in 0ha2a
5istrict, 7echi Tone to 7ahendranagar near the western border in 3anchan2ur 5istrict, 7ahakali
Tone. It is the only motor road s2anning the country from east to west.
Tourism
&ourist attractions in the &erai includeA
Mumbini , birth2lace of Mord Buddha (near .iddharthanagar+
Bardia 1ational 8ark (near 1e2algan9+
:hitwan 1ational 8ark (near Bharat2ur+
0anak2ur , the birth2lace of .ita, wife of ?ama in he ?amayana.
Terai in 0ndia
&his section re'uires e@2ansion. (%3ril
2011)
In India, &erai e@tends o4er the states of Ittar 8radesh and Ittarakhand. &hese are mostly the
districts of these states that are on the Indo,1e2al border. &he term 5oon Halley re2laces ?nner
Terai.
Ittar 8radesh A 8ilibhit, ;onda district, Ballia, Bahraich, Balram2ur, 7ahara9gan9
Ittarakhand A Idham .ingh 1agar district
#jodhya Hills
#jodhya Hills
'le%atio
n
855 m (,805 ft+
Location
Location
Bagmundi, 8urulia district, West Bengal,
India
Range :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau
#jodhya Hills (BengaliA *+,- ".+, is a hill located in the 8urulia district of the state West
Bengal, India. It is a 2art of the 5alma Hills and e@tended 2art of 6astern ;hats range. Highest
2eak of -9odhya Hills is ;orgaburu. &he nearby 2o2ulated town area is Bagmundi.
Sanda-fu
(%3ril 2013)
&he 4iew from the highest 2oint in West Bengal
?oute ma2 of .andakfu trek (not to scale+
.ingalila ?ange and 3anchen9ungha from .andak2hu
3anchendGonga = 64erest from .andak2hu
Sanda-fu or Sanda-phu ("*"* mB !,)00 ft+ is the highest 2eak in the state of West Bengal,
India. It is situated at the edge of the .ingalila 1ational 8ark in 5ar9eeling district on the West
Bengal,.ikkim border, and is the highest 2oint of the .ingalila ?idge. .andak2hu has a small
4illage on the 2eak with few hostels. Cour of the fi4e highest 2eaks in the world, 64erest,
3anchendGonga, Mhotse and 7akalu can be seen from its summit.
Crom .andak2hu the best 4iew of the mountain 3anchendGonga is 2ossible, which is known as the
slee2ing Buddha or the slee2ing .hi4a.
(alut
(December 200B)
:loud effect from 8halut, c. !905
- 4iew of the Himalayan 2eaks of (from the left+ 7t.Mhotse, 7t.64erest, 7t.7akalu and
7t.:homolonGo from 8halut in West Bengal, India.
Phalut or (alut ("*00 m+ is the second highest 2eak of West Bengal, India. 8art of the .ingalila
?idge in the Himalayas, it is located at the border of the Indian states of West Bengal and .ikkim
and the country of 1e2al. It is located inside the .ingalila 1ational 8ark. - small bunkhouse is near
the to2 of the 2eak and is administered by the Indian army. .ingalila 8ass is !# km away from
8halut.
&he indigenous tribes surrounding the mountain 2eak are known as Calutians by outsiders.
Calutians ha4e a "00 year history of worshi22ing the mountain 2eak, and belie4e that Calut is an
omniscient god. &hey refer to the mountain 2eak as F/mna ?e -yF.
Tonglu= !est Bengal
Tonglu
Tonglu .!est Bengal/
4illage
&he trekkers> hut at &onglu
&onglu
Mocation in West Bengal, India
:oordinatesA #.0"K1 88.09K6 :oordinates A
#.0"K1 88.09K6
Country India
State West Bengal
'le%ation ",0#0 m (!0,0#0 ft+
Languages
F ;fficial Bengali, 6nglish
Time 4one I.& (I&:O5A"0+
Tonglu ("0"* m amsl+ is the one of the higher 2eaks of the .ingalila ?idge and a small settlement
inside the .ingalila 1ational 8ark in the 5ar9eeling subdi4ision, 5ar9eeling district in the state of
West Bengal in India near the India , 1e2al border. It is a roadside halt along the trekking route
from 7anebhan9an to .andak2hu.
Singalila Ridge
(5a$ 200C)
&he Singalila Ridge is a north,south running mountain ridge in northwestern West Bengal, India.
&he district of Ilam in 1e2al falls on the western 2art of this ridge, and the northern ridge ends u2
in .ikkim, the Indian 2art of the Himalayas. It se2arates mountain ranges of West Bengal from
other Himalayan ranges to its west. &he two highest 2eaks of West Bengal, .andak2hu (",*"* m
(!!,99 ft++ and 8halut (",*00 m (!!,800 ft++ are located on the ridge. &he .ingalila 1ational 8ark
encom2asses the ridge. It is famous for its 4iews of 3anchen9unga and 7ount 64erest. &he trek
from 7anebhan9an to .andak2hu and 8halut is 2o2ular.
&he four highest 2eaks are A
Calut ",*00 m (!!,800 ft+
.andakfu ",*"* m (!!,99 ft+ Y the highest 2oint in West Bengal
&onglu ",0"* m (9,9*! ft+
.abargram ",5)" m (!!,*) ft+
<ayanti
<ayanti
<ainti
Hillage
0ayanti
Mocation in West Bengal, India
:oordinatesA *.*9K1 89.#0K6 :oordinates A
*.*9K1 89.#0K6
Country India
State West Bengal
District 0al2aiguri
Languages
F ;fficial Bengali, 6nglish
Nearest city -li2urduar
Lo- Saha constituency 0al2aiguri
0ayanti hills
<ayanti is a small forest 4illage within Bu@a &iger ?eser4e in 0al2aiguri district of West Bengal,
India. It is located along the 0ayanti ?i4er, forming a natural border with the Bhutan hills. It is
2o2ular with hikers for its beautiful 4iews of the surrounding landsca2e and wild fountains.
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&he
!" km trek from Bu@aduar to 0ayanti is es2ecially 2o2ular, 2assing through the dense forest of the
Bu@a &iger ?eser4e.
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0ayanti also features a stalactite ca4e known as the 7ahakal ca4e.
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&he nearest railway station is ?a9abhatkhawa on the 1ew 0al2aiguri,-li2urduar,.amuktala ?oad
Mine.
Dooars
remo4ed. (October 2013)
- tea garden in 5ooars with the background of the Himalayas.
&he Dooars or Duars (8ronA duA AG+ ( BengaliA B 1e2aliA + are the flood2lains and
foothills of the eastern Himalayas in 1orth,6ast India around Bhutan. Duar means >door> in
-ssamese, Bengali, 1e2ali, 7aithili, Bho92uri, 7agahi and &elugu languages, and the region forms
the gateway to Bhutan from India. &here are !8 2assages or gateways through which the
Bhutanese 2eo2le can communicate with the 2eo2le li4ing in the 2lains. &his region is di4ided by
the .ankosh ri4er into the 6astern and the Western 5ooars, consisting of an area of 8,800 kmN
(",)00 s' mi+. &he Western 5ooars is known as the Bengal 5ooars and the 6astern 5ooars as the
-ssam 5ooars. 5ooars is synonymous with the term &erai used in 1e2al and northern India and
form the only nitrate rich soil in India.
Contents
! History
;eogra2hy and climate
o .! 8olitical geogra2hy
o . 8hysical geogra2hy
o ." :limate
" 8eo2le
) :ities and towns
5 8olitics
* 6conomy
# Corests and animals
8 &rans2ort
9 ?eferences
!0 6@ternal links
History
?emains of 1alra9ar ;arh in :hila2ata Corest
&he 5ooars belonged to the 3och 3ingdomB and taking ad4antage of the weakness of the 3och
kingdom in subse'uent times, Bhutan took 2ossession of the 5ooars. &his region was controlled
by the kingdom of Bhutan when the British anne@ed it in !8*5 after the Bhutan War under the
command of :a2tain Hedayat -li. &he area was di4ided into two 2artsA the eastern 2art was
merged with ;oal2ara district in -ssam and the western 2art was turned into a new district named
Western 5ooars. -gain in the year !8*9, the name was changed to 0al2aiguri 5istrict. -fter the
end of the British rule in India in !9)#, the 5ooars acceded into the dominion of India and it
merged with the Inion of India shortly afterwards in !9)9.
Political geography
7urti ri4er
&he 5ooars region 2olitically constitutes the 2lains of 5ar9eeling 5istrict, the whole of 0al2aiguri
5istrict and the u22er region of :ooch Behar 5istrict in West Bengal and the districts of 5hubri,
3okra9har, Bar2eta, ;oal2ara and Bongaigaon in the state of -ssam.
Physical geography
&he altitude of 5ooars area ranges from 90 to !,#50 m. Innumerable streams and ri4ers flow
through these fertile 2lains from the mountains of Bhutan. In -ssam, the ma9or ri4ers are the
Brahma2utra and 7anas. In northern West Bengal, the ma9or ri4er is the &eesta besides many
others like the 0aldhaka, 7urti, &orsha, .ankosh, 5yna, 3aratoya, ?aidak, and 3al9ani ri4ers,
among others.
Climate
&he a4erage rainfall of the area is about ",500 mm. 7onsoon generally starts from the middle of
7ay and continues till the end of .e2tember. Winters are cold with foggy mornings and nights.
.ummer is mild and constitutes a 4ery short 2eriod of the year.
People
?abha girls 2erforming war dance
&he nati4e 2eo2le of this region generally ha4e 7ongoloid features. &hey are com2osed of
numerous tribes, including the Bodo in -ssam, and the ?abha, the 7ech, the &oto, the 3och
?a9bongshi, the &amangJ7urmi, the Mimbu, the Me2cha in Bengal. 7ost of the 2eo2le found here
are 1e2ali community .
-2art from the tribal 2o2ulation, a large Bengali 2o2ulation (mostly dis2laced from the then 6ast
8akistan (now Bangladesh+ by the 8artition of Bengal+ also 2o2ulate the 5ooars and their culture
emerged with local 2eo2le.
&he 5ooars are famous for the tea gardens which were 2lanted by the British. Cor working in the
gardens, they im2orted labour from 1e2al and the :hota 1ag2ur and .anthal 8arganas. &he
/raons, 7undas, 3haria, 7ahali, Mohara and :hik Baraik are the tribals from these areas. &he
tribal of :hotanag2ur origin are em2loyed in tea gardens, which started 2roduction during the
!8#0s. Before the settlement of other communities, these 2eo2le con4erted the forests into
4illages and busties (agriculture 4illage+. &he remnants of these tribal 2eo2le form a ma9ority of the
2o2ulation in Western 5ooars.
Cities and to&ns
&he 5ooars is a large region and is dotted with many towns and cities. &he largest city in the
whole region stretching from the 5ar9eeling foothills to the -runachal 8radesh foothills is .iliguri.
&his northern Bengal city is well connected with the rest of country by road, air and railway and is
the business hub of the region.
&he other ma9or cities are 3okra9har, Bongaigaon, ;oal2ara, Bar2eta and 5hubri in -ssam. :ooch
Behar, -li2urduar, 0al2aiguri, 7albaGar, 7ainaguri and Bir2ara are the ma9or cities of the 5ooars
in West Bengal. -lso, the commercial ca2ital of Bhutan, 8huentsholing, near 0aigaon, can be
considered a 2art of this region.
Politics
Historically, the region has suffered from ethnic strife. &he Bodoland agitation in -ssam for a
se2arate state for the Bodo 2eo2le and the 3amta2ur or ;reater :ooch Behar mo4ement for a
3amta2ur state in northern Bengal for the ?a9bongshis are the two most 4ociferous ones.&he
-di4asi (&ribal+ of 5ooars are demanding autonomy under the .i@th .chedule of the Indian
:onstitution. &he ;orkhas ha4e also demanded that the area be included in their territory.
'conomy
;orumara 1ational 8ark entrance gateB &ourism is an im2ortant source of income for the residents
&he economy of 5ooars is based on three F&Fs < &ea, &ourism and &imber. &he main industry of
the 5ooars region is the tea industry. &housands of 2eo2le are engaged in the tea estates and
factories. .e4eral 2eo2le are also engaged in the culti4ation of bettlenuts which also contributes to
the economy. :ulti4ation of other cro2s is done mainly for local consum2tion.
&he area is dotted by se4eral national 2arks and wildlife sanctuaries which attract a lot of tourists
from all o4er India and abroad, making it an im2ortant contributor to the economy and also
em2loyer of a number of 2eo2le.
&he timber industry, both legally and illegally, flourishes in this region. - number of saw mills,
2lywood industries and other allied business also act as an im2ortant contributor to the economy.
&he 5ooars act as doorways to BhutanB thus, the e@2ort,im2ort industry also flourishes in the area.
&he towns of 0aigaon, .iliguri and 8huentsholing are im2ortant hubs of the e@2ort,im2ort industry.
-s the region is near the international borders of Bhutan, 1e2al and Bangladesh, the Border
.ecurity Corce (B.C+, the :entral ?eser4e 8olice Corce (:?8C+, Indian army and Indian -ir Corce
maintain a large 2resence in the area. &his leads to a large 2o2ulation of semi,2ermanent
residents who bring money into the local economy.
(orests and animals
- herd of ele2hant in 0alda2ara 1ational 8ark
&he beauty of the region lies not only in its tea gardens but also in the dense 9ungles that make u2
the countryside. 7any wildlife sanctuaries and national 2ark like 7anas 1ational 8ark in -ssam,
0alda2ara 1ational 8ark, Bu@a 1ational 8ark, ;orumara 1ational 8ark, :ha2ramari Wildlife
?eser4e and the 7ahananda Wildlife .anctuary in West Bengal are located in this region.
- number of rare endangered s2ecies of animals like tiger, rhinoceros and ele2hant make their
habitat in the forests of the 5ooars. /ther animals includes different ty2es of deer, bison, birds and
re2tiles. - railway line runs through the tea gardens and the 4arious 2rotected areas and a number
of ele2hants ha4e been killed in collisions with trains.
$!%
Transport
1ational Highway "! near Mataguri, West Bengal.
&he main mode of trans2ort in the area is roadways. 7ost of the 2laces are well connected by
roads. 1H"! is the main highway of the area. ?egular bus ser4ices 2ro4ided by 1orth Bengal
.tate &rans2ort :or2oration and -ssam .tate &rans2ort :or2oration and other 2ri4ate 2arties run
between all the im2ortant 2laces of the area. .hared 9ee2s and ma@i,ta@ies are 'uite 2o2ular in the
area.
&here are some im2ortant railway stations in the area such as 1ew 0al2aiguri, 1ew :ooch Behar,
-li2urduar, 1ew Bongaigaon, etc. -n im2ortant rail route between -li2urduar 0unction and 1ew
0al2aiguri 4ia 7albaGar co4ers almost the entire 5ooars.
&wo im2ortant air2orts of the area are Bagdogra -ir2ort near .iliguri and ;uwahati -ir2ort.
-nother air2ort is 2ro2osed to start in :ooch Behar shortly.
"anges Delta
(?edirected from ;anges delta+
remo4ed. (%3ril 2011)
;anges 5elta
&he "anges Delta (also known as the "angesGBrahmaputra Delta,
$!%
the Sunderans Delta, or
the Bengal Delta+ is a ri4er delta in the .outh -sia region of Bengal, consisting of Bangladesh and
the state of West Bengal, India. It is the world>s largest delta, and em2ties into the Bay of Bengal. It
is also one of the most fertile regions in the world, thus earning the nickname The "reen Delta.
&he delta stretches from the Hooghly ?i4er on the west to the 7eghna ?i4er on the east. It is
a22ro@imately "50 km (0 mi+ across at the Bay of Bengal.
$!%
3olkata (formerly :alcutta+ and
Haldia in India and 7ongla and :hittagong in Bangladesh are the 2rinci2al sea2orts of the delta.
- number of large ri4ers flow through the ;anges 5elta, including the 8adma (main distributary of
the ;anges+ and the 0amuna (main distributary of the Brahma2utra+, which merge and then 9oin
the 7eghna before entering the sea.
Contents
! .ha2e and com2osition
;eology
" 8o2ulation
) -griculture and fishing
5 Infrastructure
* :limate
o *.! :yclones and flooding
# Clora and fauna
8 Cuture of the delta
9 Hiew
!0 .ee also
!! ?eferences
! 6@ternal links
Shape and composition
- ty2ical landsca2e in the 5eltaA 8alms, rice, flat, green, 2onds galore
5elta of ;anges from the ma2 of sur4eyor 0. ?ennell (!##8+
&he ;anges delta has the sha2e of a triangle, and is considered to be an FarcuateF delta (arc,
sha2ed+. It co4ers more than !05,000 km
()!,000 s' mi+, and although the delta lies mostly in

Bangladesh and India, ri4ers from Bhutan, :hina, India, and 1e2al drain into it from the north.
-22ro@imately two,thirds of the delta is in Bangladesh. 7ost of the delta is com2osed of allu4ial
soils made u2 by small sediment 2articles that finally settle down as ri4er currents slow down in the
estuary. ?i4ers carry these fine 2articles with them, e4en from their sources at glaciers as Clu4io,
glacial. ?ed and red,yellow laterite soils are found as one heads farther east. &he soil has large
amounts of minerals and nutrients, which is good for agriculture.
It is com2osed of a labyrinth of channels, swam2s, lakes, and flood 2lain sediments (:hars+. &he
;anges 5elta is se2arated into two 2artsA eastern (acti4e+, and the western (less acti4e+.
"eology
&he ;anges 5elta lies at the 9unction of three tectonic 2latesA the Indian 8late, the 6urasian 8late,
and the Burma 8late.
$%
6normous sediment su22ly since the Himalayan collision made g)00 km
2rogragation of the shelf edge since 6ocene. &he edge of the 2aleoshelf in 6ocene runs
a22ro@imately from :alcutta to the edge of the .hilong 8lateau. &he edge of the 2aleoshelf marks
the transition from the thick continental crust in the northwest to the thin continental and oceanic
crust in the southeast. &he sediment thickness southeast of the edge of the 2aleoshelf beneath the
;anges 5elta can e@ceed !* km.
$"%
fineh gi4ei
Population
Between !5 and !)" million 2eo2le li4e on the delta, des2ite risks from floods caused by
monsoons, hea4y runoff from the melting snows of the Himalayas, and tro2ical cyclones. - large
2art of the nation of Bangladesh lies in the ;anges 5elta, and many of the country>s 2eo2le
de2end on the delta for sur4i4al.
It is belie4ed that u2wards of "00 million 2eo2le are su22orted by the ;anges 5elta, and
a22ro@imately )00 million 2eo2le li4e in the ;anges ?i4er Basin, making it the most 2o2ulous ri4er
basin in the world. 7ost of the ;anges 5elta has a 2o2ulation density of more than 00 2eo2le 2er
km
(50 2eo2le 2er s'uare mile+, making it one of the most densely 2o2ulated regions in the
world.
#griculture and fishing
?ice, cattle and fishing in ri4ers and 2onds are im2ortant sources of food.
-22ro@imately two,thirds of the Bangladesh 2eo2le work in agriculture, and grow cro2s on the
fertile flood2lains of the delta. &he ma9or cro2s that are grown in the ;anges 5elta are 9ute, tea,
and rice. Cishing is also an im2ortant acti4ity in the delta region, with fish being a ma9or source of
food for many of the 2eo2le in the area.
In recent years, scientists ha4e been hel2ing the 2oor 2eo2le of the delta to im2ro4e fish farming
methods. By turning unused 2onds into 4iable fish farms, and im2ro4ing methods of raising fish in
e@isting 2onds, many 2eo2le can now earn a li4ing raising and selling fish. Ising new systems,
fish 2roduction in e@isting 2onds has increased 800L. .hrim2 and salmon are farmed in
containers or cages that are submerged in o2en waterYmost of these fish are e@2orted.
&here are also other cro2s grown along the ;anges ?i4er.
0nfrastructure
- lot of bustle at a ferry 2ier
&he Hidyasagar .etu which s2ans the Hoogli ?i4er in 3olkata
-s there is a maGe of many ri4er branches, the area is difficult to 2ass. 7ost islands are only
connected with the mainland by sim2le wooden ferryboats. Bridges are rare. .ome islands are not
yet connected to the electric grid, so island residents tend to use solar cells for a bit of electric
su22ly.
Climate
&he ;anges 5elta lies mostly in the tro2ical wet climate Gone, and recei4es between !,500 to
,000 mm (59 to #9 in+ of rainfall each year in the western 2art, and ,000 to ",000 mm (#9 to
!!8 in+ in the eastern 2art.
Cyclones and flooding
In 1o4ember !9#0, the deadliest tro2ical cyclone of the twentieth century hit the ;anges 5elta
region. &he !9#0 Bhola cyclone killed 500,000 2eo2le (official death toll+, with another !00,000
missing. &he ;uinness Book of World ?ecords estimated the total loss of human life from the
Bhola cyclone at !,000,000 ,
$)%
-nother cyclone hit the delta in !99!, killing about !"8,000 2eo2leYsee !99! Bangladesh
:yclone.
8eo2le ha4e to be careful on the ri4er delta as se4ere flooding also occurs. In !998, the ;anges
flooded the delta, killing about !,000 2eo2le and lea4ing more than "0 million 2eo2le homeless.
&he Bangladesh go4ernment asked for Z900 million to hel2 feed the 2eo2le of the region, as the
entire rice cro2 was lost.
(lora and fauna
&his section does not cite any references or sources. 8lease hel2 im2ro4e this section
remo4ed. ((ebruar$ 2013)
Bengal &iger
&hree terrestrial ecoregions co4er the delta. &he Mower ;angetic 2lains moist deciduous forests
ecoregion co4ers most of the delta region, although the forests ha4e mostly been cleared for
agriculture and only small encla4es remain. &hick stands of tall grass, known as canebrakes, grow
in wetter areas. &he .undarbans freshwater swam2 forests ecoregion lies closer to the Bay of
BengalB this ecoregion is flooded with slightly brackish water during the dry season, and fresh
water during the monsoon season. &hese forests, too, ha4e been almost com2letely con4erted to
intensi4e agriculture, with only !"0 s'uare kilometres (50 s' mi+ of the ecoregion>s !),*00 s'uare
kilometres (5,*00 s' mi+ 2rotected. Where the delta meets the Bay of Bengal, .undarbans
mangro4es form the world>s largest mangro4e ecoregion, co4ering an area of 0,)00 s'uare
kilometres (#,900 s' mi+ in a chain of 5) islands. &hey deri4e their name from the 2redominant
mangro4e s2ecies, )eritiera 6omes, which are known locally as sundri or sundari.
-nimals in the delta include the Indian 8ython (P$thon molurus+, :louded Meo2ard (1eo6elis
nebulosa+, Indian 6le2hant (0le3has maDimus indicus+ and crocodiles, which li4e in the
.undarbans. -22ro@imately !,00 endangered Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris+ are belie4ed to
inhabit the .undarbans.
It is estimated that "0,000 chital (%Dis aDis+ are in the .undarbans 2art of the delta. Birds found in
the delta include kingfishers, eagles, wood2eckers, the shalik (%cridotheres tristis+, the .wam2
Crancolin ((rancolinus gularis+, and the doel (Ao3s$chus saularis+. &wo s2ecies of dol2hin can be
found in the deltaA the Irrawaddy 5ol2hin (Orcaella brevirostris+ and the ;anges ?i4er 5ol2hin
(Platanista gangetica gangetica+. &he Irrawaddy 5ol2hin is an oceanic dol2hin that enters the delta
from the Bay of Bengal. &he ;anges ?i4er 5ol2hin is a true ri4er dol2hin, but is e@tremely rare and
considered endangered.
&rees found in the delta include sundari, gar9an ('hiEo3hora s22.+, bamboo, mangro4e 2alm
(1$3a 6ruticans), and mangro4e date 2alm (PhoeniD 3aludosa+.
(uture of the delta
/ne of the greatest challenges 2eo2le li4ing on the ;anges 5elta may face in coming years is the
threat of rising sea le4els caused mostly by subsidence in the region and 2artly by climate change.
-n increase of half a meter could result in si@ million 2eo2le losing their homes in Bangladesh.
Im2ortant gas reser4es ha4e been disco4ered in the delta. .e4eral ma9or oil com2anies ha4e
in4ested in e@2loration of the ;anges delta region.
Biharinath
Biharinath
Biharinath from 1ehru 8ark, Burn2ur across the 5amodar
?i4er
'le%ation )5! m (!,)80 ft+
Location
Location
.altora, Bankura district, West Bengal,
India
Biharinath (BengaliA /+ is the tallest hill of Bankura 5istrict, in the Indian state of West
Bengal., and one of the dense forest areas of the district. It is )5! metres (!,)80 ft+ high.
$!%
It is
situated about *0 kilometres ("# mi+ north,west of Bankura town and !) kilometres (9 mi+ north,
east of .altora town.
Susunia
Susunia
.usunia
'le%atio
n
)) m (!,)50 ft+
Location
Location
:hhatna, Bankura district, West Bengal,
India
Susunia (BengaliA 00+ is a hill of southern West Bengal, India. It is known for its holy s2ring, its
natural beauty, its rich flora and the rock faces on which many of the famous mountaineers of this
region started their 9ourney. It is one of the rich reser4es of medicinal 2lants. .usunia is situated at
the north,western 2art of Bankura 5istrict.
$!%
!est Bengal
!est Bengal
.tate
Seal
Mocation of West Bengal in India
7a2 of West Bengal
Country India
Region 6ast India
'stalished ! 1o4ember !95*
Capital 3olkata
Largest city
Largest metro
3olkata
Districts !9 total
"o%ernment
F Body ;o4ernment of West Bengal
F "o%ernor 7. 3. 1arayanan
F Chief
,inister
7amata Baner9ee (&7:+
F Legislature
West Bengal Megislati4e -ssembly
(95
j
seats+
F High Court :alcutta High :ourt
#rea
F Total 88,#5 km
("),*# s' mi+

#rea ran- !"th
Population (0!!+
$!%
F Total 9!,")#,#"*
F Ran- )th
F Density !,000Jkm
(,#00Js' mi+
0S; CD?? code I1,WB
HD0 0.)9 (low+
HD0 ran- !"th (00#,08+
Literacy ##.08L
$%
;fficial
languages
Bengali, 6nglish and
1e2ali
$"%

!esite westbengal.go4.in
HI 9) elected, ! nominated
This article contains Bengali text6 Without
2ro2er rendering su22ort, you may see
mo9ibake instead of Bengali scri2t.
!est Bengal Jw s t b ^ lJ (BengaliA "1!, Bengali 2ronunciationA $2 t imb ^ % ,
lit. FWestern BengalF+ is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation>s fourth,most
2o2ulous.
$)%
It is also the se4enth,most 2o2ulous sub,national entity in the world, with o4er 9!
million inhabitants.
$)%
.2read o4er "),*# s' mi (88,#50 km
+, it is bordered by the countries of

Bangladesh, 1e2al and Bhutan, and the Indian states of /disha, 0harkhand, Bihar, .ikkim, and
-ssam. &he state ca2ital is 3olkata. &ogether with the neighboring nation of Bangladesh and the
state of &ri2ura, it makes u2 the ethno,linguistic region of Bengal.
-ncient Bengal was the site of se4eral ma9or Hedic kingdoms. Bengal region was 2art of large
Indian em2ires such as the 7aurya em2ire (second century B:+ and ;u2ta 6m2ire (fourth century
-5+B and 2art of the regional 8ala 6m2ire (eighth to !!th century+ and .ena dynasty (!!th<!th
century+. Crom the !"th century onward, the region was ruled by se4eral sultans, Hindu kings and
Baro,Bhuyan landlords, until the beginning of British rule in the !8th century. &he British 6ast India
:om2any cemented their hold on the region following the Battle of 8lassey in !#5#, and :alcutta
ser4ed for many years as the ca2ital of British India. &he early and 2rolonged e@2osure to British
administration resulted in e@2ansion of Western education, culminating in de4elo2ment in science,
institutional education, and social reforms of the region, including what became known as the
Bengal ?enaissance. - hotbed of the Indian inde2endence mo4ement through the early 0th
century, Bengal was di4ided during India>s inde2endence in !9)# along religious lines into two
se2arate entitiesA West BengalYa state of IndiaYand 6ast BengalYa 2art of the newly created
8akistani 5ominionYlater becoming an inde2endent nation of Bangladesh in !9#!.
- ma9or agricultural 2roducer, West Bengal is the si@th,largest contributor to India>s net domestic
2roduct.
$5%
1oted for its 2olitical acti4ism, the state was ruled by democratically elected communist
go4ernment for ") years, starting from !9##. West Bengal is noted for its cultural acti4ities and
2resence of cultural and educational institutionsB the state ca2ital 3olkata is known as the Fcultural
ca2ital of IndiaF. &he state>s cultural heritage, besides 4aried folk traditions, ranges from stalwarts
in literature including 1obel,laureate ?abindranath &agore to scores of musicians, film,makers and
artists. West Bengal is also distinct from most other Indian states in its a22reciation and 2ractice of
2laying Cootball besides the national fa4ourite s2ort cricket.
$*%$#%$8%
Contents
! 6tymology
History
" ;eogra2hy and climate
) Clora and fauna
5 ;o4ernment and 2olitics
* .ubdi4isions
# 6conomy
8 &rans2ort
9 5emogra2hics
!0 :ulture
o !0.! Miterature
o !0. 7usic and dance
o !0." Cilms
o !0.) Cine arts
o !0.5 ?eformist heritage
o !0.* :uisine
o !0.# :ostumes
o !0.8 Cesti4als
!! 6ducation
! 7edia
!" .2orts
!) .ee also
!5 1otes
!* ?eferences
!# 6@ternal links
'tymology
&he name of the region Bengal ( &angla and ! &ongo in Bengali language+ is of unknown
origins. /ne theory suggests that the word deri4es from FBangF, a 5ra4idian tribe that settled the
region around !000 B:.
$9%
&he word might ha4e been deri4ed from the ancient kingdom of Fanga
(or &anga+. -lthough some early .anskrit literature mentions the name, the region>s early history is
obscure.
-t times of British ?ule o4er the Indian subcontinent, the Bengal region was 2artitioned in !9)#
along religious lines into east and west. &he east came to be known as 6ast Bengal (4hich later
succeeded as an inde3endent nation o6 &angladesh) and the west came to known as West Bengal
which remained as an Indian state. In 0!!, the ;o4ernment of West Bengal 2ro2osed a change
in the official name for the state to Poschimbongo (BengaliA "1! Pshchimbngg+
$!0%$!!%
which
reflects the nati4e name of the state, literally meaning western Bengal in the nati4e Bengali
language.
History
7ain articlesA History of Bengal and History of West Bengal
.tone age tools dating back 0,000 years ha4e been e@ca4ated in the state.
$!%
&he region was a
2art of the Hanga 3ingdom, one of ancient kingdoms of 62ic India.
$!"%
&he kingdom of 7agadha
was formed in #th century B:, consisting of the Bihar and Bengal regions. It was one of the four
main kingdoms of India at the time of 7aha4ira and the Buddha, and consisted of se4eral
"ana3adas, or Hedic realmsJkingdoms.
$!)%
.e4eral Hedic realms were 2resent in Bengal region,
including Hanga, ?arh, 8undra and .uhma. 5uring the rule of 7aurya dynasty, the 7agadha
6m2ire e@tended o4er nearly all of .outh -sia, including -fghanistan and 2arts of 8ersia under
-shoka the ;reat in the "rd century B:.
/ne of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is a mention of a land named ;angaridai by the
-ncient ;reeks around !00 B:. &he word is s2eculated to ha4e come from angahrd (Mand with
the ;anges in its heart+ in reference to an area in Bengal.
$!5%
Bengal had o4erseas trade relations
with .u4arnabhumi (Burma, Mower &hailand, Mower 7alay 8eninsula, and the .umatra+.
$!*%
-ccording to 7aha4amsa, Hi9aya .ingha, a Hanga 2rince, con'uered Manka (modern day .ri
Manka+ and ga4e the name F.inhalaF to the country.
$!#%
-fter a 2eriod of anarchy, the Buddhist 8ala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years,
followed by a shorter reign of the Hindu .ena dynasty. .ome areas of Bengal were in4aded by
?a9endra :hola I of :hola 5ynasty between !0! and !0".
$!8%
Islam made its first a22earance in
Bengal during the !th century when .ufi missionaries arri4ed. Mater, occasional 7uslim raiders
reinforced the 2rocess of con4ersion by building mos'ues, madrassas and .ufi 3han'ah. Between
!0 and !0*, Bakhtiar 3hil9i, a military commander from the 5elhi .ultanate, o4erran Bihar and
Bengal as far east as ?ang2ur, Bogra and the Brahma2utra ?i4er. -lthough he failed to bring
Bengal under his control, the e@2edition managed to defeat Makshman .en and his two sons
mo4ed to a 2lace then called Hikrama2ur (2resent,day 7unshigan9 5istrict+, where their diminished
dominion lasted until the late !"th century.
?a9a ?am 7ohan ?oy is widely regarded as the FCather of the Bengal ?enaissanceF.
5uring the !)th century, the former kingdom became known as the .ultanate of Bengal, ruled
intermittently with the .ultanate of 5elhi as well as 2owerful Hindu states and land,lords,Baro,
Bhuyans. &he Hindu 5e4a 3ingdom ruled o4er eastern Bengal after the colla2se .ena 6m2ire.
&he .ultanate of Bengal was interru2ted by an u2rising by the Hindus under ?a9a ;anesha. &he
;anesha dynasty began in !)!), but his successors con4erted to Islam. Bengal came once more
under the control of 5elhi as the 7ughals con'uered it in !5#*. &here were se4eral inde2endent
Hindu states established in Bengal during the 7ughal 2eriod like those of 7ahara9a 8rata2 -ditya
of 0essore and ?a9a .itaram ?ay of Burdwan. &hese kingdoms contributed greatly to the
economic and cultural landsca2e of Bengal. 6@tensi4e land reclamations in forested and marshy
areas were carried out and trade as well as commerce were highly encouraged. &hese kingdoms
also hel2ed introduce new music, 2ainting, dancing and scul2ture into Bengali art,forms as well as
many tem2les were constructed during this 2eriod. 7ilitarily, they ser4ed as bulwarks against
8ortuguese and Burmese attacks. 3och Bihar 3ingdom in the northern Bengal, flourished during
the 2eriod of !*th and the !#th centuries as well as weathered the 7ughals and sur4i4ed till the
ad4ent of the British.
6uro2ean traders arri4ed late in the fifteenth century. &heir influence grew until the British 6ast
India :om2any gained ta@ation rights in Bengal subah, or 2ro4ince, following the Battle of 8lassey
in !#5#, when .ira9 ud,5aulah, the last inde2endent 1awab, was defeated by the British.
$!9%
&he
Bengal 8residency was established by !#*5, e4entually including all British territories north of the
:entral 8ro4inces (now 7adhya 8radesh+, from the mouths of the ;anges and the Brahma2utra to
the Himalayas and the 8un9ab. &he Bengal famine of !##0 claimed millions of li4es.
$0%
:alcutta
was named the ca2ital of British India in !##. &he Bengal ?enaissance and Brahmo .ama9 socio,
cultural reform mo4ements had great im2act on the cultural and economic life of Bengal. &he failed
Indian rebellion of !85# started near :alcutta and resulted in transfer of authority to the British
:rown, administered by the Hiceroy of India.
$!%
Between !905 and !9!!, an aborti4e attem2t was
made to di4ide the 2ro4ince of Bengal into two Gones.
$%
Bengal suffered from the ;reat Bengal
famine in !9)" that claimed " million li4es.
$"%
.ubhas :handra Bose was a inde2endence acti4ist in the Indian inde2endence mo4ement against
the British ?a9.
Bengal 2layed a ma9or role in the Indian inde2endence mo4ement, in which re4olutionary grou2s
such as %nushilan #amiti and "ugantar were dominant. -rmed attem2ts against the British ?a9
from Bengal reached a clima@ when .ubhas :handra Bose led the Indian 1ational -rmy from
.outheast -sia against the British. When India gained inde2endence in !9)#, Bengal was
2artitioned along religious lines. &he western 2art went to India (and was named West Bengal+
while the eastern 2art 9oined 8akistan as a 2ro4ince called 6ast Bengal (later renamed 6ast
8akistan, gi4ing rise to inde2endent Bangladesh in !9#!+.
$)%
In !950, the 8rincely .tate of :ooch
Behar merged with West Bengal.
$5%
In !955, the former Crench encla4e of :handannagar, which
had 2assed into Indian control after !950, was integrated into West BengalB 2ortions of Bihar were
subse'uently merged with West Bengal. Both West and 6ast Bengal suffered from large refugee
influ@ during and after the 2artition in !9)#. ?efugee settlement and related issues continued to
2lay significant role in the 2olitics and socio,economic condition of the state.
$*%
5uring the !9#0s and !980s, se4ere 2ower shortages, strikes and a 4iolent 7ar@ist,1a@alite
mo4ement damaged much of the state>s infrastructure, leading to a 2eriod of economic stagnation.
&he Bangladesh Miberation War of !9#! resulted in the influ@ of millions of refugees to West
Bengal, causing significant strains on its infrastructure.
$#%
&he !9#) small2o@ e2idemic killed
thousands. West Bengal 2olitics underwent a ma9or change when the Meft Cront won the !9##
assembly election, defeating the incumbent Indian 1ational :ongress. &he Meft Cront, led by
:ommunist 8arty of India (7ar@ist+, go4erned for the state for the subse'uent three decades.
$8%
&he state>s economic reco4ery gathered momentum after economic reforms were introduced in the
mid,!990s by the central go4ernment, aided by the ad4ent of information technology and I&,
enabled ser4ices. -s of 00#, armed acti4ists ha4e been conducting minor terrorist attacks in
some 2arts of the state,
$9%$"0%
while clashes with the administration are taking 2lace at se4eral
sensiti4e 2laces o4er the issue of industrial land ac'uisition.
$"!%$"%
-lthough the state>s ;58 has
risen significantly since the !990s, West Bengal has remained affected by 2olitical instability and
bad go4ernance.
$""%
&he state continues to suffer from regular bandhs (strikes+,
$")%$"5%
a low Human
5e4elo2ment Inde@ le4el,
$"*%
substandard healthcare ser4ices,
$"#%$"8%
a lack of socio,economic
de4elo2ment,
$"9%
2oor infrastructure,
$)0%$)!%
2olitical corru2tion and ci4il 4iolence.
$)%$)"%
7ain articlesA ;eogra2hy of West Bengal and :limate of West Bengal
7any areas remain flooded during the hea4y rains brought by monsoon
1ational Highway "!- winds along the banks of the &eesta ?i4er near 3alim2ong, in the
5ar9eeling Himalayan hill region.
West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the
Bay of Bengal in the south. &he state has a total area of 88,#5 s'uare kilometres ("),*# s' mi+.
$!%
&he 5ar9eeling Himalayan hill region in the northern e@treme of the state belongs to the eastern
Himalaya. &his region contains .andakfu (",*"* m or !!,99 ft+Ythe highest 2eak of the state.
$))%
&he narrow &erai region se2arates this region from the 2lains, which in turn transitions into the
;anges delta towards the south. &he ?arh region inter4enes between the ;anges delta in the east
and the western 2lateau and high lands. - small coastal region is on the e@treme south, while the
.undarbans mangro4e forests form a remarkable geogra2hical landmark at the ;anges delta.
&he ;anges is the main ri4er, which di4ides in West Bengal. /ne branch enters Bangladesh as
the Padma or Pdda, while the other flows through West Bengal as the Bhagirathi ?i4er and
Hooghly ?i4er. &he Carakka barrage o4er ;anges feeds the Hooghly branch of the ri4er by a
feeder canal, and its water flow management has been a source of lingering dis2ute between India
and Bangladesh.
$)5%
&he &eesta, &orsa, 0aldhaka and 7ahananda ri4ers are in the northern hilly
region. &he western 2lateau region has ri4ers such as the 5amodar, -9ay and 3angsabati. &he
;anges delta and the .undarbans area ha4e numerous ri4ers and creeks. 8ollution of the ;anges
from indiscriminate waste dum2ed into the ri4er is a ma9or 2roblem.
$)*%
5amodar, another tributary
of the ;anges and once known as the F.orrow of BengalF (due to its fre'uent floods+, has se4eral
dams under the 5amodar Halley 8ro9ect. -t least nine districts in the state suffer from arsenic
contamination of groundwater, and an estimated 8.# million 2eo2le drink water containing arsenic
abo4e the World Health /rganisation recommended limit of !0 kgJM.
$)#%
West Bengal>s climate 4aries from tro2ical sa4anna in the southern 2ortions to humid subtro2ical in
the north. &he main seasons are summer, rainy season, a short autumn, and winter. While the
summer in the delta region is noted for e@cessi4e humidity, the western highlands e@2erience a dry
summer like northern India, with the highest day tem2erature ranging from "8 K: (!00 KC+ to )5 K:
(!!" KC+.
$)8%
-t nights, a cool southerly breeGe carries moisture from the Bay of Bengal. In early
summer brief s'ualls and thunderstorms known as !albaisakhi, or 1or>westers, often occur.
$)9%
West Bengal recei4es the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian ocean monsoon that mo4es in a
northwest direction. 7onsoons bring rain to the whole state from 0une to .e2tember. Hea4y
rainfall of abo4e 50 cm is obser4ed in the 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri and :ooch Behar district. 5uring
the arri4al of the monsoons, low 2ressure in the Bay of Bengal region often leads to the
occurrence of storms in the coastal areas. Winter (5ecember<0anuary+ is mild o4er the 2lains with
a4erage minimum tem2eratures of !5 K: (59 KC+.
$)8%
- cold and dry northern wind blows in the
winter, substantially lowering the humidity le4el. Howe4er, the 5ar9eeling Himalayan Hill region
e@2eriences a harsh winter, with occasional snowfall at 2laces.
(lora and fauna
- Bengal tiger.
.al trees in the -rabari forest in West 7idna2ur.
-s of 009, recorded forest area in the state is !!,8#9 km
(),58# s' mi+ which is !"."8L of the

state>s geogra2hical area,
$50%
com2ared to the national a4erage of !.0L.
$5!%$5%
?eser4es,
2rotected and unclassed forests constitute 59.)L, "!.8L and 8.9L, res2ecti4ely, of the forest
area.
$50%
8art of the world>s largest mangro4e forest, the .undarbans, is located in southern West
Bengal.
$5"%
State symols of !est
Bengal
State
anima
l
Cishing
cat
$5)%

State
ird
White,
throated
3ingfishe
r
State
tree
5e4il
&ree
$5)%

State
flo&er
1ight,
flowering
0asmine
$5

)%
Crom a 2hytogeogra2hic 4iew2oint, the southern 2art of West Bengal can be di4ided into two
regionsA the ;angetic 2lain and the littoral mangro4e forests of the .undarbans.
$55%
&he allu4ial soil
of the ;angetic 2lain, com2ounded with fa4ourable rainfall, make this region es2ecially fertile.
$55%
7uch of the 4egetation of the western 2art of the state shares floristic similarities with the 2lants of
the :hota 1ag2ur 2lateau in the ad9oining state of 0harkhand.
$55%
&he 2redominant commercial tree
s2ecies is #horea robusta, commonly known as the .al tree. &he coastal region of 8urba
7edini2ur e@hibits coastal 4egetationB the 2redominant tree is the Aasuarina. - notable tree from
the .undarbans is the ubi'uitous sundari ()eritiera 6omes+, from which the forest gets its name.
$5*%
&he distribution of 4egetation in northern West Bengal is dictated by ele4ation and 2reci2itation.
Cor e@am2le, the foothills of the Himalayas, the Dooars, are densely wooded with .al and other
tro2ical e4ergreen trees.
$5#%
Howe4er, abo4e an ele4ation of !,000 metres (","00 ft+, the forest
becomes 2redominantly subtro2ical. In 5ar9eeling, which is abo4e !,500 metres (),900 ft+,
tem2erate,forest trees such as oaks, conifers, and rhododendrons 2redominate.
$5#%
West Bengal has ".*L of its geogra2hical area under 2rotected areas com2rising !5 wildlife
sanctuaries and 5 national 2arks
$50%
Y .undarbans 1ational 8ark, Bu@a &iger ?eser4e, ;orumara
1ational 8ark, 1eora Halley 1ational 8ark and .ingalila 1ational 8ark. 6@tant wildlife include
Indian rhinoceros, Indian ele2hant, deer, leo2ard, gaur, tiger, and crocodiles, as well as many bird
s2ecies. 7igratory birds come to the state during the winter.
$58%
&he high,altitude forests of .ingalila
1ational 8ark shelter barking deer, red 2anda, chinkara, takin, serow, 2angolin, mini4et and 3ali9
2heasants. &he .undarbans are noted for a reser4e 2ro9ect conser4ing the endangered Bengal
tiger, although the forest hosts many other endangered s2ecies, such as the ;angetic dol2hin,
ri4er terra2in and estuarine crocodile.
$59%
&he mangro4e forest also acts as a natural fish nursery,
su22orting coastal fishes along the Bay of Bengal.
$59%
?ecogniGing its s2ecial conser4ation 4alue,
.undarban area has been declared as a Bios2here ?eser4e.
$50%
"o%ernment and politics
7ain articlesA ;o4ernment of West Bengal and 8olitics of West Bengal
.ee alsoA :ouncil of 7inisters of West Bengal and Mist of :hief 7inisters of West Bengal
:alcutta High :ourt is the highest court in West Bengal
?a9 Bha4an
West Bengal is go4erned through a 2arliamentary system of re2resentati4e democracy, a feature
the state shares with other Indian states. Ini4ersal suffrage is granted to residents. &here are two
branches of go4ernment. &he legislature, the West Bengal Megislati4e -ssembly, consists of
elected members and s2ecial office bearers such as the .2eaker and 5e2uty .2eaker, that are
elected by the members. -ssembly meetings are 2resided o4er by the .2eaker or the 5e2uty
.2eaker in the .2eaker>s absence. &he 9udiciary is com2osed of the :alcutta High :ourt and a
system of lower courts. 6@ecuti4e authority is 4ested in the :ouncil of 7inisters headed by the
:hief 7inister, although the titular head of go4ernment is the ;o4ernor. &he ;o4ernor is the head
of state a22ointed by the 8resident of India. &he leader of the 2arty or coalition with a ma9ority in
the Megislati4e -ssembly is a22ointed as the :hief 7inister by the ;o4ernor, and the :ouncil of
7inisters are a22ointed by the ;o4ernor on the ad4ice of the :hief 7inister. &he :ouncil of
7inisters re2orts to the Megislati4e -ssembly. &he -ssembly is unicameral with 95 7embers of
the Megislati4e -ssembly, or 7M-s,
$*0%
including one nominated from the -nglo,Indian community.
&erms of office run for 5 years, unless the -ssembly is dissol4ed 2rior to the com2letion of the
term. -u@iliary authorities known as 3ancha$ats, for which local body elections are regularly held,
go4ern local affairs. &he state contributes ) seats to Mok .abha
$*!%
and !* seats to ?a9ya .abha
of the Indian 8arliament.
$*%
&he main 2layers in the regional 2olitics are the -ll India &rinamool :ongress, the Indian 1ational
:ongress, the Meft Cront alliance (led by the :ommunist 8arty of India (7ar@ist+ or :8I(7++.
Collowing the West Bengal .tate -ssembly 6lection in 0!!, the -ll India &rinamool :ongress and
Indian 1ational :ongress coalition under 7amata Baner9ee of the -ll India &rinamool :ongress
was elected to 2ower (getting 5 seats in the legislature+.
$*"%
West Bengal was ruled by the Meft
Cront for the ") years (!9##<0!!+, making it the world>s longest,running democratically elected
communist go4ernment.
$8%
Sudi%isions
7ain articleA Mist of districts of West Bengal
5istricts of West Bengal
- hut in a 4illage in Hooghly district
&he following is a list of nineteen districts of by rank in India.
$*)%$*5%
Ran
-
District
Populatio
n
"ro&th
rate
Sex
ratio
Literac
y
Density per s:uare
2ilometer
1orth )
8arganas
!0,08,85
!.8* 9)9 8).95 )*"

*
.outh )
8arganas
8,!5",!#* !8.05 9)9 #8.5# 8!9
# Bardhaman #,#",**" !.0! 9)" ##.!5 !!00
9 7urshidabad #,!0,)"0 !.0# 95# *#.5" !"")
!) West 7idna2ore 5,9)","00 !).)) 9*0 #9.0) *"*
!* Hooghly 5,50,"89 9.)9 958 8.55 !#5"
!8 1adia 5,!*8,)88 !.) 9)# #5.58 !"!*
Ran
-
District
Populatio
n
"ro&th
rate
Sex
ratio
Literac
y
Density per s:uare
2ilometer
0 6ast 7idna2ore 5,09),"8 !5." 9"* 8#.** !0#*
" Howrah ),8)!,*"8 !"."! 9"5 8".85 ""00
"5 3olkata ),)8*,*#9 l!.88 899 8#.!) )5
58 7aldah ",99#,9#0 !.50 9"9 *.#! !0#!
** 0al2aiguri ",8*9,*#5 !".## 95) #".#9 *!
80 Bankura ",59*,9 !.*) 95) #0.95 5"
8) Birbhum ",50,"8# !*.!5 95* #0.90 ##!
!) 1orth 5ina92ur ",000,8)9 .90 9"* *0.!" 95*
!9 8urulia ,9#,9*5 !5.)" 955 *5."8 )*8
!"* :ooch Behar ,8,#80 !".8* 9) #5.)9 8""
5# 5ar9eeling !,8),0") !).)# 9#! #9.9 585
95 5akshin 5ina92ur !,*#0,9"! !!.!* 95) #".8* #5"
6ach district is go4erned by a district collector or district magistrate, a22ointed either by the Indian
-dministrati4e .er4ice or the West Bengal :i4il .er4ice.
$**%
6ach district is subdi4ided into .ub,
5i4isions, go4erned by a sub,di4isional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of
2anchayats (4illage councils+ and town munici2alities.
$*5%
&he ca2ital and largest city of the state is 3olkata < the third,largest urban agglomeration
$*#%
and
the se4enth,largest city
$*8%
in India. -sansol is the second largest city = urban agglomeration in
West Bengal after 3olkata.
$*#%
.iliguri is an economically im2ortant city, strategically located in the
northeastern .iliguri :orridor (:hicken>s 1eck+ of India. /ther ma9or cities and towns in West
Bengal are Howrah, 5urga2ur, ?anigan9, Haldia, 0al2aiguri, 3harag2ur, Burdwan, 5ar9eeling,
7idna2ore, and 7alda.
$*8%
'conomy
7ain articleA 6conomy of West Bengal
?oadside 4egetable 4endor in a semi,rural area. - large 2ro2ortion of residents are em2loyed in
informal occu2ations.
Net State Domestic Product at (actor
Cost at Current Prices .>EEJGEK
Base/
$5%
(figures in crores of Indian ?u2ees+
Lear
Net State Domestic
Product
00)<005 !90,0#"
005<00* 09,*)
00*<00# "8,*5
00#<008 #,!**
008<009 "09,#99
009<0!0 "**,"!8
In 009<!0, the tertiary sector of the economy (ser4ice industries+ was the largest contributor to
the gross domestic 2roduct of the state, contributing 5#.8L of the state domestic 2roduct
com2ared to )L from 2rimary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining+ and !8.L from secondary
sector (industrial and manufacturing+.
$*9%A!
-griculture is the leading occu2ation in West Bengal.
?ice is the state>s 2rinci2al food cro2. ?ice, 2otato, 9ute, sugarcane and wheat are the to2 fi4e
cro2s of the state.
$*9%A!)
&ea is 2roduced commercially in northern districtsB the region is well known
for 5ar9eeling and other high 'uality teas.
$*9%A!)
.tate industries are localised in the 3olkata region,
the mineral,rich western highlands, and Haldia 2ort region.
$#0%
&he 5urga2ur<-sansol colliery belt
is home to a number of ma9or steel 2lants.
$#0%
7anufacturing industries 2laying an im2ortant
economic role are engineering 2roducts, electronics, electrical e'ui2ment, cables, steel, leather,
te@tiles, 9ewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, and wagons. &he 5urga2ur centre has
established a number of industries in the areas of tea, sugar, chemicals and fertilisers. 1atural
resources like tea and 9ute in and nearby 2arts has made West Bengal a ma9or centre for the 9ute
and tea industries.
- significant 2art of the state is economically backward, namely, large 2arts of si@ northern districts
of :ooch Behar, 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri, 7alda, 1orth 5ina92ur and .outh 5ina92urB three western
districts of 8urulia, Bankura, BirbhumB and the .undarbans area.
$#!%
_ears after inde2endence,
West Bengal was still de2endent on the central go4ernment for meeting its demands for foodB food
2roduction remained stagnant and the Indian green re4olution by2assed the state. Howe4er, there
has been a significant s2urt in food 2roduction since the !980s, and the state now has a sur2lus of
grains.
$#!%
&he state>s share of total industrial out2ut in India was 9.8L in !980<8!, declining to 5L
by !99#<98. Howe4er, the ser4ice sector has grown at a rate higher than the national rate.
$#!%
Creshly sown sa2lings of 2addyB in the background are stacks of 9ute sticks
In terms net state domestic 2roduct (1.58+, West Bengal has the si@th largest economy (009<
0!0+ in India, with an 1.58 of "**" billion Indian ru2ees, behind 7aharashtra (8!#9 billion+,
Ittar 8radesh ()5"0 billion+, -ndhra 8radesh ()*8 billion+, &amil 1adu ()!## billion+, and ;u9arat
("#0) billion+.
$5%
In the 2eriod 00)<005 to 009<0!0, the a4erage gross state domestic 2roduct
(;.58+ growth rate was !".9L (calculated in Indian ru2ee term+, lower than !5.5L, the a4erage
for all states of the country.
$*9%A)
&he stateEs 2er ca2ita ;.58 at current 2rices in 009<!0 was
I.Z95*.), im2ro4ed from I.Z55".# in 00)<05,
$*9%A!0
but lower than the national 2er ca2ita ;.58
of I.Z!,"0.
$*9%A)
&he state>s total financial debt stood at !9!8"50 million (I.Z"" billion+ as of
0!!.
$#%
&he state has 2romoted foreign direct in4estment, which has mostly come in the software and
electronics fieldsB 3olkata is becoming a ma9or hub for the Information technology (I&+ industry.
?a2id industrialisation 2rocess has gi4en rise to debate o4er land ac'uisition for industry in this
agrarian state.
$#"%
1-..:/7<;artner ranks West Bengal 2ower infrastructure the best in the
country.
$#)%
1otably, many cor2orate com2anies are now head'uartered in 3olkata include I&:
Mimited, India ;o4ernment 7int, 3olkata, Haldia 8etrochemicals, 6@ide Industries, Hindustan
7otors, Britannia Industries, Bata India, Birla :or2oration, :6.: Mimited, :oal India Mimited,
5amodar Halley :or2oration, 8w: India, 8eerless ;rou2, Inited Bank of India, I:/ Bank and
-llahabad Bank. In 0!0s, e4ents such as ado2tion of FMook 6astF 2olicy by the go4ernment of
India, o2ening of the 1athu Ma 8ass in .ikkim as a border trade,route with :hina and immense
interest in the .outh 6ast -sian countries to enter the Indian market and in4est ha4e 2ut 3olkata in
an ad4antageous 2osition for de4elo2ment in future, 2articularly with likes of 7yanmar, where
India needs oil from military regime.
$#5%$#*%
Transport
.ee alsoA Mist of air2orts in West Bengal
3olkata .uburban ?ailway caters to the commuters of the 2o2ulous suburbs of 3olkata
-s of 0!!, the total length of surface road in West Bengal is o4er 9,0" km (5#,!80 mi+B
$*9%A!8
national highways com2rise ,5#8 km (!,*0 mi+
$##%
and state highways ,"9" km (!,)8# mi+.
$*9%A!8
-s of 00*, the road density of the state is !0".*9 km 2er !00 kmN (!**.9 mi 2er !00 s' mi+,
higher than the national a4erage of #).# km 2er !00 kmN (!0 mi 2er !00 s' mi+.
$#8%
-4erage s2eed
on state highways 4aries between )0<50 kmJh (5<"! miJh+B in 4illages and towns, s2eeds are as
low as 0<5 kmJh (!<!* miJh+ due to the substandard 'uality of road constructions and low
maintenance.
-s of 0!!, the total railway route length is around ),)8! km (,#8) mi+.
$*9%A0
3olkata is the
head'uarters of three Tones of the Indian ?ailwaysY6astern ?ailway and .outh 6astern ?ailway
and the 3olkata 7etro which is the newly formed !#th Tone of the Indian ?ailways.
$#9%$80%
&he
1ortheast Crontier ?ailway (1C?+ 2lies in the northern 2arts of the state. &he 3olkata metro is the
country>s first underground railway.
$8!%
&he 5ar9eeling Himalayan ?ailway, 2art of 1C?, is a
I16.:/ World Heritage .ite.
$8%
:ustoms .2eed Boat at 8ort of 3olkata
&he state>s largest international air2ort is 1eta9i .ubhas :handra Bose International -ir2ort at 5um
5um, 3olkata. Bagdogra air2ort near .iliguri is another significant air2ort in the state which
originally ser4ed domestic ser4ices, but now also ser4es international ser4ices to Bhutan and
&hailand .-nother International air2ort is de4elo2ed by the Bengal -erotro2olis 8ro9ects Mtd.,
WBI5:, other 9oint 4enture 2artners in the 2ro9ect include .inga2oreEs :hangi -ir2orts, IM=C.,
:itystar Infrastructure, Mend Mease :o, 8ragati )# and 8ragati .ocial Infrastructure = 5e4elo2ment
Mtd. in the city of 5urga2ur in the Bardhaman district of the state, which will also ser4e as an
International -ir2ort facilities in the state of West Bengal named 3aGi 1aGrul Islam International
-ir2ort.
$8"%
3olkata is a ma9or ri4er,2ort in eastern India. &he 3olkata 8ort &rust manages both the
3olkata docks and the Haldia docks.
$8)%
&here is 2assenger ser4ice to 8ort Blair on the -ndaman
and 1icobar Islands and cargo shi2 ser4ice to 2orts in India and abroad, o2erated by the .hi22ing
:or2oration of India. Cerry is a 2rinci2al mode of trans2ort in the southern 2art of the state,
es2ecially in the .undarbans area. 3olkata is the only city in India to ha4e trams as a mode of
trans2ort and these are o2erated by the :alcutta &ramways :om2any.
$85%
5urga2ur 6@2ressway
.e4eral go4ernment,owned organisations o2erate bus ser4ices in the state, including the :alcutta
.tate &rans2ort :or2oration, the 1orth Bengal .tate &rans2ort :or2oration, the .outh Bengal
.tate &rans2ort :or2oration, the West Bengal .urface &rans2ort :or2oration, and the :alcutta
&ramways :om2any. &here are also 2ri4ate bus com2anies. &he railway system is a nationalised
ser4ice without any 2ri4ate in4estment. Hired forms of trans2ort include metered ta@is and auto
rickshaws which often 2ly s2ecific routes in cities. In most of the state, cycle rickshaws, and in
3olkata, hand,2ulled rickshaws, are also used for short,distance tra4el. Marge,scale trans2ort
accidents in West Bengal are common, 2articularly the sinking of trans2ort boats and train
crashes.
$8*%
Demographics
7ain articleA Bengali 2eo2le
5akshineswar 3ali &em2le
&i2u .ultan 7os'ue
.t 8aul>s :athedral
7sho&8Population
"ro&th
-ccording to the 2ro4isional results of the 0!! national census, West Bengal is the fourth most
2o2ulous state in India with a 2o2ulation of 9!,")#,#"* (#.55L of India>s 2o2ulation+.
$!%
Bengalis
com2rise the ma9ority of the 2o2ulation.
$88%
&he 7arwaris, Bihari and /riya minorities are scattered
throughout the stateB communities of .her2as and ethnic &ibetans can be found in the 5ar9eeling
Himalayan hill region. &he 5ar9eeling district has a large number of 1e2alese immigrants. West
Bengal is home to indigenous tribal %divasis such as .anthal, 3ol, and &oto tribe. &here are a
small number of ethnic minorities 2rimarily in the state ca2ital, including :hinese, &amils,
;u9aratis, -nglo,Indians, -rmenians, 8un9abis, and 8arsis.
$89%
India>s sole :hinatown is in eastern
3olkata.
$90%
Religions in !est Bengal
7MD8
?eligion
8erce
nt
Hindu #.5L
7uslim 5.L
/thers ."L
&he official language is Bengali and 6nglish.
$9%
1e2ali is the official language in three subdi4isions
of 5ar9eeling district.
$9%
-s of 00!, in decreasing order of number of s2eakers, the languages of
the state areA Bengali, Hindi, .antali, Irdu, 1e2ali, and /riya.
$9%
Manguages such as Ho is used in
some 2arts of the state.
-s of 00!, Hinduism is the 2rinci2al religion at #.5L of the total 2o2ulation, while 7uslims
com2rise 5.L of the total 2o2ulation, being the second,largest community as also the largest
minority grou2B .ikhism, :hristianity and other religions make u2 the remainder.
$9!%
&he state
contributes #.8L of India>s 2o2ulation.
$9"%
&he state>s 00!<0!! decennial growth rate was
!".9"L,
$!%
lower than !99!<00! growth rate of !#.8L,
$!%
and also lower than the national rate of
!#.*)L.
$9)%
&he gender ratio is 9)# females 2er !000 males.
$9)%
-s of 0!!, West Bengal has a
2o2ulation density of !,09 inhabitants 2er s'uare kilometre (,*#0 Js' mi+ making it the second,
most densely 2o2ulated state in India, after Bihar.
$9)%
&he literacy rate is ##.08L, higher than the national rate of #).0)L.
$95%
5ata of !995<!999 showed
the life e@2ectancy in the state was *".) years, higher than the national 4alue of *!.# years.
$9*%
-bout #L of 2eo2le li4e in rural areas. &he 2ro2ortion of 2eo2le li4ing below the 2o4erty line in
!999<000 was "!.9L.
$#!%
.cheduled :astes and &ribes form 8.*L and 5.8L of the 2o2ulation
res2ecti4ely in rural areas, and !9.9L and !.5L res2ecti4ely in urban areas.
$#!%
- study conducted
in three districts of West Bengal found that accessing 2ri4ate health ser4ices to treat illness had a
catastro2hic im2act on households. &his indicates the 4alue of 2ublic 2ro4ision of health ser4ices
to mitigate against 2o4erty and the im2act of illness on 2oor households.
$9#%
In 0!!, the 2olice in West Bengal recorded !)",!9# cogniGable offences under the Indian 8enal
:odeB the all,India statistic for the year was ,"5,5#5.
$98%
&he crime rate in the state was !58.! 2er
!00,000 2eo2le, less than the all,India a4erage of !9..
$99%
&his is the twelfth,lowest crime rate
among the " states and union territories of India.
$99%
In 0!!, in re2orted crimes against women,
the state showed a crime rate of 9 com2ared to the national rate of !8.
$!00%
West Bengal
accounted for about !.L of total crime against women (*,!5 cases out of India>s !",585
cases+.
$!0!%
.ome estimates state that there are more than *0,000 brothel,based women and girls
in 2rostitution in 3olkata.
$!0%
&he 2o2ulation of 2rostitutes in .onagachi constitutes mainly of
1e2alese, Indians and Bangladeshis.
$!0%
.ome sources estimate there are *0,000 women in the
brothels of 3olkata.
$!0%
&he largest 2rostitution area in city is .onagachi.
$!0%
West Bengal was the
first Indian state to constitute a Human ?ights :ommission of its own.
$!0"%
.ee alsoA Hinduism in West Bengal
Culture
.ee alsoA :ulture of West Bengal and :ulture of 5ar9eeling
Literature
?abindranath &agore is -sia>s first 1obel laureate and com2oser of India>s national anthem
.wami Hi4ekananda was a key figure in introducing Hedanta and _oga in 6uro2e and I.-,
$!0)%
raising interfaith awareness and making Hinduism a world religion.
$!05%
&he Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage, shared with neighbouring Bangladesh. West
Bengal has a long tradition in folk literature, e4idenced by the Ahar$a3ada, 5angalkav$a,
#hreekrishna !irtana, Thakurmar "huli, and stories related to ;o2al Bhar. In the nineteenth and
twentieth century, Bengali literature was modernised in the works of authors such as Bankim
:handra :hatto2adhyay, 7ichael 7adhusudan 5utt, ?abindranath &agore, 3aGi 1aGrul Islam,
.harat :handra :hatto2adhyay, 0ibananda 5as and 7anik Bandyo2adhyay. In modern times
0ibanananda 5as, Bibhutibhushan Bando2adhyay, &arashankar Bando2adhyay, 7anik
Bando2adhyay, -sha2urna 5e4i, .hirshendu 7ukho2adhyay, Buddhadeb ;uha, 7ahashweta
5e4i, .amaresh 7a9umdar, .an9ee4 :hatto2adhyay and .unil ;ango2adhyay among others are
well known.
,usic and dance
Baul singers at Basanta,Itsab, .hantiniketan
&he Baul tradition is a uni'ue heritage of Bengali folk music, which has also been influenced by
regional music traditions.
$!0*%
/ther folk music forms include ;ombhira and Bhawaiya. Colk music in
West Bengal is often accom2anied by the ektara, a one,stringed instrument. West Bengal also has
a heritage in 1orth Indian classical music. F?abindrasangeetF, songs com2osed and set into tune
by ?abindranath &agore and F1aGrul geetiF (by 3aGi 1aGrul Islam+ are 2o2ular. -lso 2rominent are
other musical forms like 5wi9endralal, -tul2rasad and ?a9anikanta>s songs, and GadhunikG or
modern music from films and other com2osers.
5ance with ?abindra Crom the early !990s, there has been an emergence of new genres of
music, including the emergence of what has been called Bengali "eebonmukhi aan (a modern
genre based on realism+..
Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, es2ecially those of the tribal grou2s, as well as the
broader Indian dance traditions. :hau dance of 8urulia is a rare form of mask dance.
(ilms
7ainstream Hindi films are 2o2ular in Bengal, and the state is home to a thri4ing cinema industry,
dubbed F&ollywoodF. &ollygun9 in 3olkata is the location of numerous Bengali mo4ie studios, and
the name F&ollywoodF (similar to Hollywood and Bollywood+ is deri4ed from that name. &he
Bengali film industry is well known for its art films, and has 2roduced acclaimed directors like
.atya9it ?ay, 7rinal .en, &a2an .inha and ?itwik ;hatak. 8rominent contem2orary directors
include 4eterans like Buddhade4 5asgu2ta, &arun 7a9umdar, ;outam ;hose, -2arna .en,
?itu2arno ;hosh and a newer 2ool of directors like 3aushik ;anguly and .ri9it 7ukher9i.
(ine arts
Bengal had been the harbinger of modernism in fine arts. -banindranath &agore, called the father
of 7odern Indian -rt had started the Bengal .chool of -rt which was to create styles of art outside
the 6uro2ean realist tradition which was taught in art colleges under the colonial administration of
the British ;o4ernment. &he mo4ement had many adherents like ;aganendranath &agore,
?amkinkar Bai9, 0amini ?oy and ?abindranath &agore. -fter Indian Inde2endence, im2ortant
grou2s like the :alcutta ;rou2 and the .ociety of :ontem2orary -rtists were formed in Bengal
which dominated the art scene in India.
Reformist heritage
&he ca2ital, 3olkata, was the work2lace of se4eral social reformers, like ?a9a ?am 7ohan ?oy,
Iswar :handra Hidyasagar, and .wami Hi4ekananda. &hese social reforms ha4e e4entually led to
a cultural atmos2here where 2ractices like sati, dowry, and caste,based discrimination or
untouchability, the e4ils that cre2t into the Hindu society, were abolished.&he region was also
home to se4eral religious teachers, such as :haitanya, ?amakrishna, 8rabhu2ada and
8aramahansa _ogananda.
Cuisine
7ain articleA :uisine of West Bengal
Patisa3ta < - kind of 8ithaB which is a 2o2ular sweet dish in West Bengal during winter.
?ice and fish are traditional fa4ourite foods, leading to a saying in Bengali, machhe bhate bangali,
that translates as Ffish and rice make a BengaliF.
$!0#%
Bengal>s 4ast re2ertoire of fish,based dishes
includes hilsa 2re2arations, a fa4ourite among Bengalis. &here are numerous ways of cooking fish
de2ending on the te@ture, siGe, fat content and the bones. .weets occu2y an im2ortant 2lace in
the diet of Bengalis and at their social ceremonies. It is an ancient custom among both Hindu and
7uslim Bengalis to distribute sweets during festi4ities. &he confectionery industry has flourished
because of its close association with social and religious ceremonies. :om2etition and changing
tastes ha4e hel2ed to create many new sweets. Bengalis make distincti4e sweetmeats from milk
2roducts, including 'shogolla, Ahmchm, !alo,am and se4eral kinds of sondesh. 8itha, a kind
of sweet cake, bread or dimsum are s2ecialties of winter season. .weets like coconut,naru, til,
naru, moa, 2ayesh, etc. are 2re2ared during the festi4al of Makshmi 2u9a. 8o2ular street food
includes %loor Aho3, Beguni, 3ati roll, and 2huchka.
$!08%$!09%
.arshe Ilish (Hilsha with 7ustard .auce+
&he 4ariety of fruits and 4egetables that Bengal has to offer is incredible. - host of gourds, roots
and tubers, leafy greens, succulent stalks, lemons and limes, green and 2ur2le egg2lants, red
onions, 2lantain, broad beans, okra, banana tree stems and flowers, green 9ackfruit and red
2um2kins are to be found in the markets or ana9 baGaar as 2o2ularly called. Panta bhat (rice
soaked o4ernight in water+with onion = green chili is a traditional dish consumed in rural areas.
:ommon s2ices found in a Bengali kitchen are cumin, a9moda (radhuni+, bay leaf, mustard, ginger,
green chillies, turmeric, etc. 8eo2le of erstwhile 6ast Bengal use a lot of a9moda, coriander lea4es,
tamarind, coconut and mustard in their cookingB while those aboriginally from West Bengal use a
lot of sugar, garam masala and red chilli 2owder. Hegetarian dishes are mostly without onion and
garlic.
- 5urti (re2resentation+ of 7aa 5urga
Costumes
Bengali women commonly wear the shaHi, often distinctly designed according to local cultural
customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear Western attire. -mong men, western
dressing has greater acce2tance. 7en also wear traditional costumes such as the 3an,abi with
dhuti, often on cultural occasions.
(esti%als
7ain articleA Mist of festi4als of West Bengal
5urga 8u9a in /ctober is the most 2o2ular festi4al in the West Bengal.
$!!0%
8oila Baishakh (the
Bengali 1ew _ear+, ?athayatra, 5olyatra or Basanta,Itsab, 1obanno, Poush Parbon (festi4al of
8oush+, 3ali 8u9a, .araswati8u9a, Ma@mi8u9a, :hristmas, 6id ul,Citr, 6id ul,-dha and 7uharram
are other ma9or festi4als. Buddha 8urnima, which marks the birth of ;autama Buddha, is one of
the most im2ortant HinduJBuddhist festi4als while :hristmas, called &Hodin (;reat day+ in Bengali
is celebrated by the minority :hristian 2o2ulation. 8oush mela is a 2o2ular festi4al of .hantiniketan
in winter.
'ducation
7ain articleA 6ducation in West Bengal
II& 3harag2ur
West Bengal schools are run by the state go4ernment or by 2ri4ate organisations, including
religious institutions. Instruction is mainly in 6nglish or Bengali, though Irdu is also used,
es2ecially in :entral 3olkata. &he secondary schools are affiliated with the :ouncil for the Indian
.chool :ertificate 6@aminations (:I.:6+, the :entral Board for .econdary 6ducation (:B.6+, the
1ational Institute of /2en .chool (1I/.+ or the West Bengal Board of .econdary 6ducation.
$!!!%
Inder the !0OO" 2lan, after com2leting secondary school, students ty2ically enroll for years in
a 9unior college, also known as 2re,uni4ersity, or in schools with a higher secondary facility
affiliated with the West Bengal :ouncil of Higher .econdary 6ducation or any central board.
.tudents choose from one of three streams, namely liberal arts, commerce or science. I2on
com2leting the re'uired coursework, students may enroll in general or 2rofessional degree
2rograms.
West Bengal has eighteen uni4ersities.
$!!%$!!"%
&he Ini4ersity of :alcutta, the oldest 2ublic
uni4ersity in India, has !"* affiliated colleges. 3olkata has 2layed a 2ioneering role in the
de4elo2ment of the modern education system in India. It is the gateway to the re4olution of
6uro2ean education. .ir William 0ones (2hilologist+ established the -siatic .ociety in !#9) for
2romoting oriental studies. 8eo2le like ?am 7ohan ?oy, 5a4id Hare, Ishwar :handra Hidyasagar,
-le@ander 5uff and William :arey 2layed a leading role in the setting u2 of modern schools and
colleges in the city. &he Cort William :ollege was established in !8!0. &he Hindu :ollege was
established in !8!#. &he .cottish :hurch :ollege, which is the oldest :hristian liberal arts college
in .outh -sia, started its 9ourney in !8"0. In !855 the Hindu :ollege was renamed as the
8residency :ollege.
$!!)%
&he
Ini4ersity of :alcutta
and 0ada42ur Ini4ersity are 2restigious technical uni4ersities.
$!!5%
His4a,Bharati Ini4ersity at
.antiniketan is a central uni4ersity and an institution of national im2ortance.
$!!*%
&he state has
se4eral higher education institutes of national im2ortance including Indian Institute of Coreign
&rade, Indian Institute of 7anagement :alcutta (the first II7+, Indian Institute of .cience 6ducation
and ?esearch, 3olkata, Indian .tatistical Institute, Indian Institute of &echnology 3harag2ur (the
first II&+, 1ational Institute of &echnology, 5urga2ur and West Bengal 1ational Ini4ersity of
0uridical .ciences. -fter 00" the state go4t su22orted the creation of West Bengal Ini4ersity of
&echnology, West Bengal .tate Ini4ersity and ;our Banga Ini4ersity.
Besides these, the state also has 3alyani Ini4ersity, &he Ini4ersity of Burdwan, Hidyasagar
Ini4ersity and 1orth Bengal Ini4ersity,all well established and nationally renowned, to co4er the
educational needs at the district le4els of the state and also an Indian Institute of .cience
6ducation and ?esearch, 3olkata. -lso recently 8residency :ollege, 3olkata became a Ini4ersity
named 8residency Ini4ersity. -2art from this there is another 2ri4ate uni4ersity run by
?amakrishna mission named ?amakrishna 7ission Hi4ekananda Ini4ersity at Belur 7ath. &here
are a number of research institutes in 3olkata. &he Indian -ssociation for the :ulti4ation of
.cience is the first research institute in -sia. :. H. ?aman got 1obel 8riGe for his disco4ery
(?aman 6ffect+ done in I-:.. -lso Bose Institute, .aha Institute of 1uclear 8hysics, ..1. Bose
1ational :entre for Basic .ciences, Indian Institute of :hemical Biology, :entral ;lass and
:eramic ?esearch Institute, Hariable 6nergy :yclotron :enter are most 2rominent. 1otable
scholars who were born, worked or studied in the geogra2hic area of the state include 2hysicists
.atyendra 1ath Bose, 7eghnad .aha,
$!!#%
and 0agadish :handra BoseB
$!!8%
chemist 8rafulla
:handra ?oyB
$!!#%
statistician 8rasanta :handra 7ahalanobisB
$!!#%
2hysician I2endranath
BrahmachariB
$!!#%
educator -shutosh 7ukher9eeB
$!!9%
and 1obel laureates ?abindranath &agore,
$!0%
:. H. ?aman,
$!!8%
and -martya .en.
$!!%
,edia
West Bengal had 505 2ublished news2a2ers in 005,
$!%
of which "89 were in Bengali.
$!%
%nanda
&aEar Patrika, 2ublished from 3olkata with !,##,80! daily co2ies, has the largest circulation for a
single,edition, regional language news2a2er in India.
$!%
/ther ma9or Bengali news2a2ers are
&artaman, #angbad Pratidin, %a,kaal, "ago &angla, 2ttarbanga #ambad and anashakti. 7a9or
6nglish language news2a2ers which are 2ublished and sold in large numbers are The Telegra3h,
The Times o6 ?ndia, )industan Times, The )indu, The #tatesman, The ?ndian 0D3ress and %sian
%ge. .ome 2rominent financial dailies like The 0conomic Times, (inancial 0D3ress, &usiness =ine
and &usiness #tandard are widely circulated. Hernacular news2a2ers such as those in Hindi,
1e2ali ;u9arati, /riya, Irdu and 8un9abi are also read by a select readershi2.
5oordarshan is the state,owned tele4ision broadcaster. 7ulti system o2erators 2ro4ide a mi@ of
Bengali, 1e2ali, Hindi, 6nglish and international channels 4ia cable. Bengali ),hour tele4ision
news channels include -B8 -nanda, &ara 1ewG, 3olkata &H, 1ews &ime, ) ;hanta, 7ahuaa
3hobor, 1e Bangla, :&H1 8lus, :hannel !0 and ? 8lus.
$!"%$!)%
-ll India ?adio is a 2ublic radio
station.
$!)%
8ri4ate C7 stations are a4ailable only in cities like 3olkata, .iliguri and -sansol.
$!)%
Hodafone, -irtel, B.1M, ?eliance :ommunications, Ininor, -ircel, 7&. India, &ata Indicom, Idea
:ellular and &ata 5o:o7o are a4ailable cellular 2hone o2erators. Broadband internet is a4ailable
in select towns and cities and is 2ro4ided by the state,run B.1M and by other 2ri4ate com2anies.
5ial,u2 access is 2ro4ided throughout the state by B.1M and other 2ro4iders.
Sports
.alt Make .tadium < _u4a Bharati 3rirangan, 3olkata
:ricket and soccer are 2o2ular s2orts in the state. West Bengal, unlike most other states of India,
is noted for its 2assion and 2atronage of football.
$*%$#%$8%
3olkata is one of the ma9or centres for
football in India
$!5%
and houses to2 national clubs such as 6ast Bengal, 7ohun Bagan and
7ohammedan .2orting :lub.
$!*%
Indian s2orts such as 3ho 3ho and 3abaddi are also 2layed.
:alcutta 8olo :lub is considered as the oldest 2olo club of the world,
$!#%
and the ?oyal :alcutta
;olf :lub is the oldest of its kind outside ;reat Britain.
$!8%
.alt Make .tadium is the world>s second
largest stadium, and 6den ;ardens stadium is the largest cricket stadium in India.
West Bengal has se4eral large stadiumsY&he 6den ;ardens is one of only two !00,000,seat
cricket am2hitheaters in the world, although reno4ations will reduce this figure.
$!9%
3olkata 3night
?iders, 6ast Tone and Bengal 2lay there, and the !98# World :u2 final was there although in
0!! World :u2, 6den ;ardens was stri22ed due to construction incom2leteness. .alt Make
.tadiumYa multi,use stadiumYis the world>s second highest,ca2acity football stadium.
$!"0%$!"!%
:alcutta :ricket and Cootball :lub is the second,oldest cricket club in the world.
$!"%
1ational and
international s2orts e4ents are also held in 5urga2ur, .iliguri and 3harag2ur.
$!""%
1otable s2orts
2ersons from West Bengal include former Indian national cricket ca2tain .oura4 ;anguly, 8anka9
?oy /lym2ic tennis bronGe medallist Meander 8aes, and chess grand master 5ibyendu Barua.
/ther ma9or s2orting icons o4er the years include famous football 2layers such as :huni ;oswami,
83 Baner9ee and .ailen 7anna as well as swimmer 7ihir .en and athlete 0yotirmoyee .ikdar
(winner of gold medals at the -sian ;ames+.
$!")%
Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
Darjeeling Himalayan hill region or Darjeeling Himalaya is the mountainous area on the 1orth,
Western side of the state of West Bengal in India. &his region belongs to the 6astern Himalaya
range. &he whole of the 5ar9eeling district e@ce2t the .iliguri subdi4ision constitutes the region. It
arises abru2tly from the &erai region.
&he region slo2es from a south to north direction. &he ri4er &eesta di4ides the region in two 2arts
Y the region to the east of &eesta and the region to the west of &eesta.
Contents
! Hills to the west of &eesta
o !.! .ingalila range
o !. 5ar9eeling,3arsiang range
Hills to the east of &eesta
" ?i4ers
) ?eferences
Hills to the &est of Teesta
&his is the highest region of the 5ar9eeling Himalaya. &wo distinct ranges are 4isible here Y the
.ingalila range and the 5ar9eeling,3arsiang range.
Singalila range
&he .ingalila range is on the western limit of the region and se2arates 1e2al from West Bengal.
.ingalila 1ational 8ark is situated here. &he four highest 2eaks of this range areA
!. Calut (",595 m+
. .andakfu (",*"0 m+ Y the highest 2oint of West Bengal
". &onglu (",0"* m+
). .abargram (",5)" m+
.eeA .ingalila ?idge
Darjeeling$2arsiang range
&wo notable 2eaks of this range are &iger Hill and .enchal.
Hills to the east of Teesta
&he :hola range is situated on the .ikkim and Bhutan border. &he highest 2eak is ?ishila. &he
town of 3alim2ong is situated in this region. 1eora Halley 1ational 8ark is located here. &he
relati4ely low,height Bu@a,0ayanti range, a 2art of the .i4alik, is also located here.
Ri%ers
.ome notable ri4ers of this region are 7echi, Balason, ?ammam, ?angeet, &eesta, and 0aldhaka.
,echi Ri%er
:oordinatesA *K!"R)*S1 8#K5#R05S6
,echi Ri%er
?i4er
Countries 1e2al, India
Source 7ahabharat Mekh
,outh 7ahananda ?i4er
, coordinates
*K!"R)*S1
8#K5#R05S6
&his article is about the ri4er. Cor the region, see 7echi Tone.
&he ,echi Ri%er is a trans,boundary ri4er flowing through 1e2al and India. It is a tributary of the
7ahananda ?i4er.
Contents
! :ourse
o !.! 6mbankments
?i4er linking
" ?eferences
Course
&he 7echi originates in the 7ahabharat ?ange in 1e2al. It flows through 1e2al, forms the
boundary between India and 1e2al and then flows through the Indian state of Bihar to 9oin the
7ahananda in 3ishangan9 district.
$!%$%$"%
&he 7echi,7ahananda interflu4e is a transitional area between the hills and the 2lains and e@hibits
a wide range of to2ogra2hical 4ariations. &he ri4ers originating in the hills attain a braiding
character and ha4e well de4elo2ed allu4ial fans.
$)%
&he 7ahananda ri4er system of which 7echi is a 2art has a catchment area of 8,088 s'uare
kilometres (",!" s' mi+ in 1e2al and !!,50 s'uare kilometres (),)50 s' mi+ in India.
$5%
'man-ments
6mbankments e@ist of the left bank of the 7echi ?i4er for !) kilometres (8.# mi+ in West Bengal.
&hese need remodelling to 2re4ent floods in the 1a@albari area of 5ar9eeling district.
$5%
&here also is
a need for new embankments. -s the 7echi forms the international border, it was agreed at a
meeting of the 1e2al,India 0oint .tanding &echnical :ommittee to take due care in aligning the
embankments so that they would be at identified distance from the border and the to2 le4els of the
embankments should be ke2t same on both sides, as far as 2racticable.
$*%
Ri%er lin-ing
&here is a 2ro2osal to link the 7echi to the 3osi. 3osi,7echi interlinking is 2art of a 18? 5*000
billion ?i4er Interlinking 8ro9ect 2ro2osed to 1e2al by India. &he 3ankai forms 2art of this 2ro9ect.
Besides the High 5am, a barrage across 3osi ri4er will also be constructed near 4illage :hatra !0,
! km below the 2ro2osed 3osi High 5am, to transfer water to the 7echi through the 3osi,7echi
link canal.
$5%$#%
Balason Ri%er
("anuar$ 2011)
Balason is a ri4er flowing in the 5ar9eeling 5istrict of West Bengal, India. It originates in the hills of
.enchal and flows south into the 2lains of 1orth Bengal, where it 9oins the 7ahananda ?i4er.
Rangeet Ri%er
remo4ed. (December 200B)
Rangeet or Rangit (5e4anagari + is a tributary of the &eesta ri4er, the largest ri4er in the
Indian state of .ikkim. &he ?angeet ri4er originates in the Himalayan mountains in West .ikkim
district. - 2erennial ri4er, it is fed by the melting snow of the Himalayas in early summer and the
monsoon rains in 0uly<-ugust. It is 2o2ular among rafting enthusiasts owing to its turbulent
waters. &he ri4er flows 2ast the towns of 0orethang, 8elling and Megshi2. 5uring its final few
kilometres, it forms the boundary between West Bengal (5ar9eeling 5istrict+ and .ikkim. &he
tortuous ri4er 9oins the &eesta ri4er at &eesta BaGaar on the border of West Bengal and .ikkim.
&he ?angeet ri4er has a 1H8: hydel 2ower 2lant of *0 7W ca2acity in .ikkim.
$!%
<aldha-a Ri%er
0aldhaka ?i4er in 5ar9eeling district
&he <aldha-a Ri%er (8ronAJ d Xl d k J+ ( &em2lateA % % + is a trans,boundary ri4er with a
length of !9 kilometres that originates from the 3u2u2 or Bitang Make in southeastern .ikkim in
the eastern Himalayas and flows through Bhutan and the 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri and :ooch Behar
districts of West Bengal, India. -t that 2oint the ri4er enters Bangladesh through the Malmonirhat
5istrict and then 9oins with the 5harla ?i4er until the 5harla debouches into the Brahma2utra ?i4er
near the 3urigram 5istrict. 5ue to the ri4er>s wandering o4er se4eral international borders, only a
small length of the ri4er lies within Bangladesh.
$!%

Contents
! History
6@ternal links
" ?eferences
) .ee also
History
&he 0aldhaka ?i4er is formed by the con9unction of three streams at Bindu, the end 2oint of the
0aldhaka 8olice .tation at 5ar9eeling district in West Bengal. &he three streams are known as
Bindu 3hola, 5udh 8okhri and 0aldhaka that originates from the 3u2u2 Make, a small glacial lake
in .ikkim. &he combined streams meet at Bindu to form the 0aldhaka ?i4er, thus forming a ri4erine
boundary with India and Bhutan in the left bank. &he main tributaries that 9oin the ri4er in its right
bank are the 7urti, the 1aksal 3hola, the .utunga and the 0arda in the lower reach. &he 5iana,
?ehti,5uduya and 7u9nai are the main left bank tributaries.
&he ri4er flows through the three 1orth Bengal districts of 5ar9eeling, 0al2aiguri and :ooch Bihar.
&he entire watershed is the most fertile agricultural Gone along with the &eesta Basin. &he u22er
course is famous for cro2s like ginger, medicinal herbs and fruits like oranges and 2omegranate.
&he middle course com2rising 0al2aiguri district is entirely tea and corn dominated and the lower
course is dominated by rice, 9ute and tobacco. &he inter,ri4er formed lands are culti4ated with
cro2s like bamboo and mat sticks. In the lower basin, the inter,ri4er lands are culti4ated with
banana.
&he ri4er enters Bangladesh at ;hoksadanga district to meet the Brahma2utra or the 0amuna as it
is known there.
Tiger Hill= Darjeeling
&igerHill in the Indian .tate of West Bengal ,is the summit of ;hoom, the highest railway station on
the 5ar9eeling Himalayan ?ailway < a I16.:/ World Heritage .ite. It is famous for the
2anoramic 4iews it offers of 7ount 64erest along with 3angchen9unga.
It is !! km from the town of 5ar9eeling and can be reached either by 9ee2 or by foot through
:howrasta, -lubari (incidentally the oldest tea 2lantation in 5ar9eeling+ or 0orebangla and then
climbing u2 the incline to the summit, which takes about hours at an easy 2ace.
$!%$%
8anorama of the 3angchen9unga massif from 5ar9eeling>s &iger Hill.
&he first rays of the sun shoot ahead and shed light u2on the twin 2eaks of 3angchen9unga
2ainting it 2ink
and then bathing it in a beautiful orange colour. Crom &iger Hill, 7ount 64erest (88)8m+ is 9ust
4isible, 2ee2ing out through two other 2eaks standing by its side. 7akalu (8)8!m+ looks higher
than 7t. 64erest, owing to the cur4e in the horiGon, as it is se4eral miles closer than 64erest. &he
distance in straight line from &iger Hill to 64erest is !0# miles.
$"%$)%
/n a clear day, 3urseong is 4isible to the south and in the distance, along with &eesta ?i4er,
7ahanada ?i4er, Balason ?i4er and 7echi ?i4er meandering down to the south.
$5%
:humal ?hi
mountain of &ibet, 8) miles away as the crow flies, looks like a great rounded mass o4er the
snowy :hola ?ange. /ne comes face to face with this 2eak of su2erb beauty from 8hari 0ong
which is !9 miles away from 5ar9eeling.
$*%
While at &iger Hill, you can also 4isit .enchal Wildlife .anctuary, which offers great 2icnic s2ots,
and its two artificial lakes ser4e as a reser4oir for su22ly of water to 5ar9eeling town.
Senchal La-e
Senchal La-e
Location 5ar9eeling
Coordinates
*.99"8K1 88.*5K6 :oordinates A
*.99"8K1 88.*5K6
Type ?eser4oir
Basin countrie
s
India
Surface
ele%ation
8,!*0 ft (,)90 m+
Senchal la-e, located !0 km to the south,east of 5ar9eeling, is the main reser4oir of 2otable water
for the town of 5ar9eeling, India. &he lake is located at an altitude of 8,!*0 ft (,)8# m+ ato2 a hill.
&he hill also has one of the highest golf courses in the world. .enchal is a fa4ourite 2icnic s2ot. -
tourist lodge at .enchal 2ro4ides accommodation to tourists.
$!%
&his lake is a 2art of the .enchal
Wildlife .anctuary.
Rarh region
Rarh Region
;eogra2hicalJHistorical -rea
:oordinatesA !!K0R)5S1 #8K9R"*S6 :oordinates A
!!K0R)5S1 #8K9R"*S6
Country India
Region 6ast India
"o%ernment
F Body ;o4ernment of West Bengal, ;o4ernment
of 0harkhand
#rea
F Total "## km
(!)* s' mi+

Population (00!+
$!%
F Total !5,#00,000 (a22ro@.+
F Density *0#Jkm
(!,5#0Js' mi+
Languages
F ;fficial Bangla, .anthali, Hindi
1ehicle
registration
WB,!!,WB,!,WB,!),WB,!5,WB,!*,WB,
!8,WB,9,WB,"0,WB,"!,WB,",WB,WB,
"",WB,"),WB,"*,WB,"#,WB,"8,WB,
"9,WB,)0,WB,)!,WB,),WB,)),WB,
5",WB,5),WB,55,WB,5*,WB,5#,WB,WB,
58,WB,*#,WB,*8,
,ajor
Cities
-sansol,5urga2ur
Literacy *.*!L
Ci%ic
agency
;o4ernment of West Bengal, ;o4ernment
of 0harkhanf
Rarh region (BengaliA 2, ?Q h+ is a to2onym for an area in the Indian subcontinent that lies
between the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau on the West and the ;anges 5elta on the 6ast. -lthough the
boundaries of the region ha4e been defined differently according to 4arious sources throughout
history, today it is mainl$ coe@tensi4e with the state of West Bengal also com2rising some 2ortions
of the state of 0harkand and Bihar in India.
$%$"%$)%
&he ?arh region historically has been known by many different names and has hosted numerous
settlements throughout history. It is suggested that the ?arh region hosted an ancient ci4ilisation
also called 'arh and a 2owerful state, howe4er much of its ancient history remains unknown.
$"%$)%$5%$*%
Contents
! 5ifferent names and etymology
;eogra2hy
" -ccounts on ?arh and ;angaridae
) History
5 /utstanding 2ersonalities of ?arh
* .ee also
# ?eferences
Different names and etymology
5ifferent names of the region as endonyms are usually 4ariations of the term ?Q h. It is worth
noting that the gra2heme 2 J hJ is basically the same as 3 J hJ, the only difference being one dot
under the 3 and they belong to the same mor2ho2honeme. &he interchangeable 4ariations 'adha,
'arha, =adha, =ara are obser4ed in the oldest 0ain book of codes -caranga .utra of the *th
century B:. .ome other sources use the endonyms =ala, 'ara and =ada. -ccording to the linguist
.arkar the :hinese called ?arh as =ati, the ;reek as anga 'idae and the -ryans as '9 ha .
7oreo4er many ;reek, ?oman and 6gy2tian sources use the 4ariations of angaridai,
angaridae, angaritai and angaridum with the sense of a state, nation or ci4ilisation which
e@isted more or less in the same or a larger e@tent of ?arh. 7egasthenes, 8tolemy, .trabo, 8liny,
-rrian, 5iodorus .iculus, muintus :urtius ?ufus and 8lutarch all wrote about ;angaridae.
$"%$)%$#%$8%
&he etymology of the word Rarh is not clear howe4er there are many authors suggesting that it
originates from a local language of -ustroasiatic family. It could ha4e originated from any of the
following words of the .antali languageB lar means FthreadF, rarh means FtuneF and larh means
FsnakeF. -nd according to .arkar, the word originates from 8roto,-ustroasiatic j'9Hh9 or j'9Hho
which means Fland of red soilF or Fland of lateriteF.
$"%$#%
&he etymology of the word "angaridae is also not clear. -ccording to the historian 5r. -tul .ur,
8liny and 8tolemy it means anga-'idai (?arh of the ;anges < ;anges> ?arh+. Howe4er
according to other scholars it might deri4e as anga-)rd (land with ;anges in its heart+, anga-
'ashtra (.tate of the ;anges+ or onda-'idai (Mand of the ;onds+. 7egasthenes call the 2eo2le
of ;angaridae as angarides. 5iodorus .iculus describes ;angaridae as Fa nation 2ossessing
the greatest number of ele2hants and the largest in siGe.F
$8%
"eography
;angaridae in 8tolemy>s 7a2.
Western 2arts of ?arh merging with the :hota 1ag2ur 8lateau was historically called Ha99abhumi a
definition demarcating it from the eastern 2art of ?arh which was called .ubbhabhumi,
.umhabhumi or .uhmo. &here are many descri2tions of the geogra2hical area called ?arh or
;angaridae, some being 'uite im2recise they are ca2able of indicating a 4ery large area and some
though being 2recise, differ in their descri2tions. 7ost 2recise descri2tions of ?arh seem
coe@tensi4e with West Bengal. 7ore im2recise descri2tions denoting larger areas usually deri4e
from Western sources describing ;angaridae. .ome sources describe a smaller area while
referring to ?arh as a geogra2hical area and a larger descri2tion comes with ?arh defined as a
geo2olitical unit.
$"%$9%$!0%
-ccording to the 6ncyclo2Xdia Britannica, ?arh is mainly 7urshidabad>s surrounding region, a
high, undulating continuation of the :hota 1ag2ur 2lateau to the West, and the Bagri, a fertile, low,
lying allu4ial tract, 2art of the ;anges (;anga+,Brahma2utra delta, to the 6ast.
$%
Bangla2edia says
that ?arh consists of a large 2art of West Bengal.
$)%
-nd according to West Bengal &ra4el =
&ourism ;uide, the northeastern border of ?arh is located within Birbhum.
$9%
Historically, a statement in 5ig4i9aya2rakasha locates ?arh as from the north of the 5amodar ?i4er
and to the west of ;anges in the south. 64en though earliest written documents di4ides ?arh as
West ?arh and 6ast ?arh, later documents starting from the 9th and !0th century -5, di4ides it to
Daksina 'adha (1orthern ?arh+ and 2ttara 'adha (.outhern ?arh+. Howe4er as inferred from
later documents, this newer distinction (1orthJ.outh+ is not based on geogra2hy but two 2olitical
states. .outhern ?arh included different large settlements of the modern districts of Howrah,
Hooghly and Burdwan in West Bengal, or considerable 2ortions of West Bengal lying between the
ri4ers -9ay and 5amodar. &he -9ay ri4er is usually regarded as constituting the boundary line
between 1orthern and .outhern ?arh. Based on different e2igra2hic records, it is suggested that
1orthern ?arh included the western 2arts of the modern district of 7urshidabad, the entire district
of Birbhum, including some 2arts of .anthal 8argana, and the northern 2art of the 3atwa sub,
di4ision of Burdwan district. &here are many archaeological sites in many 2arts of ?arh, where
studies are going on.
$)%
Historian 8. ?. .arkar, who has been doing research around most of those archaeological sites,
gi4es a 4ery detailed account of ?arh>s geogra2hy, using the old geogra2hical definitions of
WestJ6ast ?arh. -ccording to this definitionA
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5istricts of West Bengal
'ast Rarh consists of roughly of the following districtsA
!. Western 7urshidabad
. 1orthern Birbhum
". 6astern Burdwan (Bardhaman+
). Hooghly
5. Howrah
*. 6ast 7idna2ore (7edini2ur+
#. Indas of Bankura district
!est Rarh consists of the following districtsA
!. /ld .anthal 8argana district (today * districtsA ;odda, 5eoghar, 5umka, 0amtara,
.ahibgan9 and 8akur+
. 7ost 2arts of Birbhum
". Western Burdwan
). Bankura district e@ce2t for Indas
5. 8urulia
*. 5hanbad
#. 7ost 2arts of ;iridih
8. Cour block of ?anchi, namely .illi, .onahatu, Bundu and &amar
9. .inghbhum
!0. 0hargram subdi4ision of West 7idna2ore
History of ?arhi 2eo2le also called the angarides in ;reek sources, shows that they ha4e
e@2anded their territory with time. &his might e@2lain why most of the Western descri2tion of
;angaridae includes a broader region.
-sia in "" B:, the 1anda 6m2ire and ;angaridae 6m2ire in relation to -le@ander>s 6m2ire and
neighbours.
"angaridae was first described by the ;reek tra4eller 7egasthenes in his work ?ndica. 7any
Western writers followed him. 7any of the descri2tions also com2rises 2arts of the area of today>s
Bangladesh.
$8%
8tolemy (c.90 < c.!*8+, wrote that the ;angaridai occu2ied the entire region about the fi4e mouths
of the ;anges and that the royal residence was in the city of F;angesF or F;angeF. &he fi4e
mouths according to 8tolemy areA
$!!%
!. &he 3ambyson
. &he 7ega
". &he 3amberikon
). &he 8seudostomon
5. &he -ntebole
&he 8eri2lus refers ;angaridae to be located on the Bay of Bengal north to the 2ort city of
5osarne in 3alinga (ancient /rissa+. Its main city, with the same name as the ri4er ;anges, was
on the bank of the ri4er. .trabo, 8liny, -rrian, et al7 com2iled a ma2 of India as known to the early
;reeks, based on ?ndica of 7egasthenes ()th century B:+, where the ;angaridae state has been
shown in the lower ;anges and its tributaries. Howe4er, all the ;reek, Matin and 6gy2tian
accounts about ;angaridae suggest that the country was located in the deltaic region of .outhern
Bengal.
$!!%
8eri2lus mentions the city of 8atali2utra (today 8atna+,
$!!%
which is north of &osali or 5osarne, and
which based on the ma2, lies ne@t to the ;anges and is at the heart of ;anga as it flows from the
Himalayas to the sea.
?arh region is belie4ed to be created from the soil from the 5eccan 2lateau. ?ed coloured laterite
soil is 2redominant.
$"%
West ?arh>s Bagri ri4er is a fertile, low,lying allu4ial tract. ?ice, 9ute, legumes,
oilseeds, wheat, barley, and mangoes are the chief cro2s in the eastB e@tensi4e mulberry
culti4ation is carried out in the west.
$%
&he ancient snowco4ored mountain 2eaks of ?arh ga4e birth to numerous ri4ers. &hese ri4ers, fed
by melting snow flowed to the east and south east towards the ocean. &he most notable ri4ers are
5amodar, -9ay, 7ayurakshi, 5warakeswar, .hilai and 3asai. -ll the ri4er originates from :hota
1ag2ur 8lateau and flows towards east or south,east finally to meet the ?i4er Hooghly. &he ri4er
.ubarnarekha flows through some 2arts of the region and ends at the Bay of Bengal. In the 2ast,
some of the ri4ers were notorious for causing flood. With the construction of se4eral dams, the
floods ha4e been somewhat controlled.
$"%
#ccounts on Rarh and "angaridae
- chronological listing of account on both conce2tsA
*th century B:, =adha is mentioned in the oldest 0ain book of codes -caranga .utraA
$)%
7aha4ira tra4elled in the 2athless country of >Madha> in Ha99abhumi and .ubbhabhumi in the
si@th century B: in trying to 2ro2agate religion. 5uring this 2eriod the settlement was
>2athless and lawless> and its 2eo2le treated 7aha4ira harshly.
*th century B:, =ala is mentioned by 5i2a4angsha and 7aha4angshaA
$)%
.ri Manka was colonised by 8rince Hi9aya who hailed from .imha2ura in Mala.
)th century B:, angaridai is mentioned by 7egasthenesA
$*%
F1ow this ri4er, which at its source is "0 stadia broad, flows from north to south, and
em2ties its waters into the ocean forming the eastern boundary of the ;angaridai, a nation
which 2ossesses a 4ast force of the largest,siGed ele2hants. /wing to this, their country
has ne4er been con'uered by any foreign kingA for all other nations dread the
o4erwhelming number and strength of these animals. $&hus -le@ander the 7acedonian,
after con'uering all -sia, did not make war u2on the ;angaridai, as he did on all othersB for
when he had arri4ed with all his troo2s at the ri4er ;anges, he abandoned as ho2eless an
in4asion of the ;angaridai and India when he learned that they 2ossessed four thousand
ele2hants well trained and e'ui22ed for war.F
F&he least breadth of the ;anges is eight miles, and its greatest twenty. Its de2th where it
is shallowest is fully a hundred feet. &he 2eo2le who li4e in the furthest,off 2art are the
;angarides, whose king 2ossesses !,000 horse, #00 ele2hants, and *0,000 foot in
a22aratus of war.F
!st century B:, angaridae is mentioned by 5iodorus .iculusA
FWhen he (-le@ander+ mo4ed forward with his forces certain men came to inform him that
8orus, the king of the country, who was the ne2hew of that 8orus whom he had defeated,
had left his kingdom and fled to the nation of ;andaridae... He had obtained from 8hegeus
a descri2tion of the country beyond the IndusA Cirst came a desert which it would take
twel4e days to tra4erseB beyond this was the ri4er called the ;anges which had a width of
thirty two stadia, and a greater de2th than any other Indian ri4erB beyond this again were
situated the dominions of the nation of the 8rasioi and the ;andaridae, whose king,
]andrames, had an army of 0,000 horse 00,000 infantry, ,000 chariots and ),000
ele2hants trained and e'ui22ed for warF.... F1ow this (;anges+ ri4er, which is "0 stadia
broad, flows from north to south, and em2ties its water into the ocean forming the eastern
boundary of the ;andaridae, a nation which 2ossesses the greatest number of ele2hants
and the largest in siGe.F
$5%
F-mong the southern countries the first under the 3aukasos is India, a kingdom remarkable
for its 4ast e@tent and the largeness of its 2o2ulation, for it is inhabited by 4ery many
nations, among which the greatest of all is that of the ;andaridae, against whom -le@ander
did not undertake an e@2edition, being deterred by the multitude of their ele2hants. &his
region is se2arated from farther India by the greatest ri4er in those 2arts (for it has a
breadth of thirty stadia+, but it ad9oins the rest of India which -le@ander had con'uered, and
which was well watered by ri4ers and highly renowned for its 2ros2erous and ha22y
condition.F
$*%
!st century -5, angaridae is mentioned by muintus :urtius ?ufusA
F1e@t came the ;anges, the largest ri4er in all India, the farther bank of which was
inhabited by two nations, the ;angaridae and the 8rasii, whose 3ing -ggrammes ke2t in
field for guarding the a22roaches to his country 0,000 ca4alry and 00,000 infantry,
besides ,000 four,horsed chariots, and, what was the most formidable of all, a troo2 of
ele2hants which he said ran u2 to the number of ",000.F
$5%
!st century -5, andaritai is mentioned by 8lutarchA
F&he Battle with 8orus de2ressed the s2irits of the 7acedonians, and made them 4ery
unwilling to ad4ance farther into India... &his ri4er (the ;anges+, they heard, had a breadth
of two and thirty stadia, and a de2th of !000 fathoms, while its farther banks were co4ered
all o4er with armed men, horses and ele2hants. Cor the kings of the ;andaritai and the
8rasiai were re2orted to be waiting for him (-le@ander+ with an army of 80,000 horse,
00,000,foot, 8,000 war,chariots, and *,000 fighting ele2hants.F
$5%
!st century -5, the 2eo2le of angarides is mentioned by 8liny the 6lderA
FIn the final 2art of its ;anges course, which is through the country of the ;angarides....
But 8rasii sur2ass in 2ower and glory e4ery other 2eo2le, not only in this 'uarter, but one
may say in all India, their ca2ital 8alibothra (8atali2utra+, a 4ery large and wealthy city, after
which some call the 2eo2le itself the 8alibothri, (He talks about 8rasii during the reign of
:handragu2ta 7aurya+... In the 2arts which lie southward from the ;anges the inhabitants,
already swarthy, are dee2ly coloured by the sun, though not scorched black like the
6thio2ians.
$5%
!st century -5, angaridai is mentioned in 8eri2lus of the 6rythraean .eaA
F... .ailing with the ocean to the right and the shore remaining beyond to the left, ;anges
comes into 4iew, and near it the 4ery last land toward the east, :hryse. &here is a ri4er
near it called the ;anges, and it rises and falls in the same way as the 1ile. /n its bank is
a market,town which has the same name as the ri4er, ;anges. &hrough this 2lace are
brought malabathrum and ;angetic s2ikenard and 2earls, and muslin of the finest sorts,
which are called ;angetic. It is said that there are gold,mines near these 2laces.F
$!%
nd century -5, angaridai is mentioned by 8tolemyA
F-ll the country about the mouths of the ;anges is occu2ied by the ;angaridai with this
city A < ;ange, the royal residence... !)*, !9.!5,degree.F
$*%
"rd century, angaridai is mentioned by 5ionysius 8eriegetesA
F1e@t come the wild tribes of the 8eukalensians, beyond whom lie the seats of the
;angaridae, worshi22ers of Bacchus, ... the land here 2ro9ects into the dee2 whirling ocean
in stee2 2reci2ices, o4er which the fowls of hea4en in swift flight can hardly wing their
way.F
$5%
Crom 9th till !*th centuryA
$)%
- 0ain monk of 'ara is mentioned in an inscri2tion from 7athura.
'adhaIs 'ueen>s im2risonment by :handella is mentioned in the e2igra2hic records from
3a9uraho.
'adha is mentioned as being the ancestral settlement of .enasB in the 1aihati :o22er
2late inscri2tion of Hallalasena.
'adha is mentioned as being a waterless, dry and woody regionB in the Bhu4anesh4ara
inscri2tion of Bhatta Bha4ade4a.
&he di4ision of =ada into 1orth and .outh is mentioned in the &irumulai rock inscri2tion of
?a9endra :hola. (!!th century+
&he same di4ision of 'adha is also mentioned in the ;aonri 8lates of Hak2ati 7un9a (!0th
century+, in .hridharacharya>s 1yayakandali, in the -maresh4ara &em2le inscri2tion of
7andhata (1imar district in 7adhya 8ardesh+, in 3rsna 7ishra>s 8rabodha,:handrodaya
and in 7ukundarama>s :handimangal (!*th century+
History
&his section re'uires e@2ansion. (#e3tember
2013)
-ccording to -caranga .utra 7aha4ira tra4elled in >Madha> in Ha99abhumi and .ubbhabhumi at a
time (5th century B:+ when the country was lawless and the 2eo2le were harsh at him. -le@ander
the great was su22osed to ha4e been discouraged to come to eastern India due to the 2ower of
the >;angaridae>.
&he Bhubaneswar inscri2tion of Bha4ade4a Bhatta records that F?adha was a waterless, dry and
woody regionF.
?akhaldas Bandyo2adhyay, the famous Bengali historian saysA F5uring :handragu2ta 7aurya>s
rule ;angaridae was inde2endent like the -ndhra kingdom and ;angaridae was 9oined with
3alinga(ancient /rissa+.F
$!"%
It is interesting that the descri2tion of the armed forces of ;angaridae
and :alingae during the reign of :handragu2ta 7aurya as gi4en by 7egasthenes are identical
(both 2ossessed army of *0,000,foot,soldiers, !,000 horsemen and #00 ele2hants+.
5i2a4angsha and 7aha4angsha state that .ri Manka was colonised by Hi9aya .imha who hailed
from .imha2ura in >Mala> (?arh+.
;utstanding personalities of Rarh
?arh 2resented human society the first 2hiloso2her 7aharishi 3a2il who was born near 0ahlda.
7aharishi 8atan9ali who systematised yoga was born in 8atun 4illage in Burdwan. 3ashiram 5as
from .iddhi 4illage in Burdwan made the 7ahabharata in lucid language accessible to the 2eo2le
and 3ritti4as /9ha did the same with the ?amayana. /thers were born in ?arh or were by lineage
from ?arh such asA Mochandas &hakur, Hrinda4andas &hakur, ;o4indadas &hakur, 54a9a
:handidas, 5ina :handidas, Boru :handidas, ;hanaram :hakra4orty, 3a4ikankan 7ukundaram
:hakra4orty, Bharatchandra ?ay, 8remendra 7itra, .haratchandra, &arashankar Bando2adhyay,
the 2oet 0ayde4, 1obel laureate ?abindranath &agore, 7ichael 7adhusudan 5utta, 3aGi 1aGrul
Islam, .atyen 5utta, ?a9shekhar Basu (8arashuram+, .hubhankar 5as, 3ashana, 0ayanta
8anigrahi, Ishwarchandra Hidyasagar, .atyendranath Bose, ?ashbehari Bose, 8rafulla :handra
?oy, .ubhas :handra Bose, ?amakrishna 8aramahamsa, .wami Hi4ekananda, .hri -urobindo,
?a9a ?ammohan ?oy, 3ali2rasanna .ingha, ?am2rasad .en, 3eshab :handra .en, -kshay
3umar 5atta, 5e4endranath &agore, 5warakanath &agore, &hakur .hri 1ityananda,
-banindranath &agore, ;aganendranath &agore, &hakur 3rshnadas 3a4ira9, _amini ?ay,
?amkinkar Bai9, 3alidasa and others.
$"%
Shilaati Ri%er
(?edirected from .hilabati ri4er+
Shilaati Ri%er
Silai Ri%er
?i4er
Country India
State West Bengal
Triutaries
, left 0ay2anda ?i4er
City 8urulia
&he Shilaati ?i4er (also known as Silai+ originates in the terrain of the :hhota 1ag2ur 8lateau in
the 8urulia district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India. It flows in an almost southeasterly
direction through the districts of Bankura and West 7idna2ore. &he .hilabati 9oins the
5warakeswar near ;hatal and afterwards is known as ?u2narayan. It finally 9oins the Hooghly
?i4er and em2ties into the Bay of Bengal.
$!%
-lmost e4ery year the .hilabati causes flooding, 2articularly in Banka, 3hir2ai and ;hatal area.
&here is a small reser4oir on the .hilabati near 3hatra known as 3adam 5euli 5am where a canal
from 7ukutmani2ur 3angsabati dam meets.
Sundarans
.undarbans redirects here, for other uses see .undarbans (disambiguation+
The Sundarans
Mocation in Bangladesh
Location 3hulna 5i4ision, Bangladesh
Nearest city 3hulna, .atkhira, Bagerhat
Coordinates
!K5*R59S1 89K!0R59.988S6 :oordinates A !K5*R59S1
89K!0R59.988S6
#rea !"9,500 ha (")5,000 acres+
'stalished !99!
"o%erning o
dy
;o4ernment of Bangladesh
3N'SC; !orld Heritage Site
Type+ 1atural
Criteria+ i@, @
Designated+ !99# (!st session+
Reference No6 #98
State Party+ Bangladesh
Region+ -sia,8acific
Ramsar !etland
O66icial name< #undarbans 'eserved (orest
Designated+ ! 7ay !99
$!%
&he Sundarans (BengaliA , #hundorbn+ is the largest single block of tidal halo2hytic
mangro4e forest in the world.
$%
&he .underbans is a I16.:/ World Heritage .ite, most of which
is situated in Bangladesh with the remainder in India.
&he .undarbans 1ational 8ark is a 1ational 8ark, &iger ?eser4e, and a Bios2here ?eser4e
located in the .undarbans delta in the Indian state of West Bengal. .undarbans .outh, 6ast and
West are three 2rotected forests in Bangladesh. &his region is densely co4ered by mangro4e
forests, and is one of the largest reser4es for the Bengal tiger.
Contents
! 6tymology
History
" ;eogra2hy
) 8hysiogra2hy
5 6coregions
o 5.! .undarbans freshwater swam2 forests
o 5. .undarbans 7angro4es
o 5." 6cological succession
* Clora
# Cauna
o #.! 8redators
o #. -4ifauna
o #." -'ua fauna
o #.) ?e2tiles
8 6ndangered and e@tinct s2ecies
9 :limate change im2act
!0 6conomy
o !0.! Habitation
!! -dministration
o !!.! 8rotection
!!.!.! .undarban 1ational 8ark
!!.!. .undarbans West Wildlife .anctuary
!!.!." .undarbans 6ast Wildlife .anctuary
!!.!.) .undarbans .outh Wildlife .anctuary
!!.!.5 .a9nakhali Wildlife .anctuary
! In 2o2ular culture
!" .ee also
!) Cootnotes and references
!5 .ources
!* 6@ternal links
'tymology
&he name #undarban can be literally translated as Fbeautiful forestF in the Bengali language
(#hundor, FbeautifulF and bon, FforestF+. &he name may ha4e been deri4ed from the #undari trees
(the mangro4e s2ecies )eritiera 6omes+ that are found in .undarbans in large numbers.
-lternati4ely, it has been 2ro2osed that the name is a corru2tion of #amudraban, #homudrobn
(F.ea CorestF+, or Ahandra-bandhe (name of a 2rimiti4e tribe+. Howe4er, the generally acce2ted
4iew is the one associated with #undari trees.
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History
Hillage in a clearing of .underbans. 5rawing by Crederic 8eter Mayard (!8!8<!89!+, after an
original sketch of !8"9
House in .undarbans with a 2ond and rice fields, 0!0
&he history of the area can be traced back to 00<"00 -5. - ruin of a city built by :hand .adagar
has been found in the Baghmara Corest Block. 5uring the 7ughal 2eriod, the 7ughal 3ings leased
the forests of the .undarbans to nearby residents. 7any criminals took refuge in the .undarbans
from the ad4ancing armies of 6m2eror -kbar. 7any ha4e been known to be attacked by &igers
$"%
7any of the buildings which were built by them later fell to hands of 8ortuguese 2irates, salt
smugglers and dacoits in the !#th century. 64idence of the fact can be traced from the ruins at
1etidho2ani and other 2laces scattered all o4er .undarbans.
$)%
&he legal status of the forests
underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the first mangro4e forest in the
world to be brought under scientific management. &he area was ma22ed first in 8ersian, by the
.ur4eyor ;eneral as early as !#*) following soon after 2ro2rietary rights were obtained from the
7ughal 6m2eror -lamgir II by the British 6ast India :om2any in !#5#. .ystematic management of
this forest tract started in the !8*0s after the establishment of a Corest 5e2artment in the 8ro4ince
of Bengal, in British India. &he management was entirely designed to e@tract whate4er treasures
were a4ailable, but labour and lower management mostly were staffed by locals, as the British had
no e@2ertise or ada2tation e@2erience in mangro4e forests.
$5%
&he first Corest 7anagement 5i4ision to ha4e 9urisdiction o4er the .undarbans was established in
!8*9. In !8#5 a large 2ortion of the mangro4e forests was declared as reser4ed forests under the
Corest -ct, !8*5 (-ct HIII of !8*5+. &he remaining 2ortions of the forests were declared a reser4e
forest the following year and the forest, which was so far administered by the ci4il administration
district, was 2laced under the control of the Corest 5e2artment. - Corest 5i4ision, which is the
basic forest management and administration unit, was created in !8#9 with the head'uarters in
3hulna, Bangladesh. &he first management 2lan was written for the 2eriod !89"<98.
$*%$#%
In !9!!, it was described as a tract of waste country which had ne4er been sur4eyed, nor had the
census been e@tended to it. It then stretched for about !*5 miles (** km+ from the mouth of the
Hugli to the mouth of the 7eghna ri4er and was bordered inland by the three settled districts of the
) 8arganas, 3hulna and Bakergan9. &he total area (including water+ was estimated at *,5*
s'uare miles (!*,90 km
+. It was a water,logged 9ungle, in which tigers and other wild beasts

abounded. -ttem2ts at reclamation had not been 4ery successful. &he .undarbans was
e4erywhere intersected by ri4er channels and creeks, some of which afforded water
communication throughout the Bengal region both for steamers and for nati4e boats.
"eography
&he .undarban forest lies in the 4ast delta on the Bay of Bengal formed by the su2er confluence of
the 8adma, Brahma2utra and 7eghna ri4ers across southern Bangladesh. &he seasonally flooded
.undarbans freshwater swam2 forests lie inland from the mangro4e forests on the coastal fringe.
&he forest co4ers !0,000 km
. of which about *,000 are in Bangladesh.

$8%
It became inscribed as a
I16.:/ world heritage site in !99#. &he Indian 2art of .undarbans is estimated to be about
),!!0 kmN, of which about !,#00 kmN is occu2ied by waterbodies in the forms of ri4er, canals and
creeks of width 4arying from a few meters to se4eral kilometres.
&he .undarbans is intersected by a com2le@ network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small
islands of salt,tolerant mangro4e forests. &he interconnected network of waterways makes almost
e4ery corner of the forest accessible by boat. &he area is known for the e2onymous ?oyal Bengal
&iger (Panthera tigris tigris+, as well as numerous fauna including s2ecies of birds, s2otted deer,
crocodiles and snakes. &he fertile soils of the delta ha4e been sub9ect to intensi4e human use for
centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly con4erted to intensi4e agriculture, with few encla4es
of forest remaining. &he remaining forests, taken together with the .undarbans mangro4es, are
im2ortant habitat for the endangered tiger. -dditionally, the .undarbans ser4es a crucial function
as a 2rotecti4e barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around 3hulna and 7ongla against the
floods that result from the cyclones. &he .undarbans has also been enlisted among the finalists in
the 1ew#Wonders of 1ature.
Physiography
.8/& satellite image of .undarbans, released by :16.
Mandsat # image of .undarbans, released by 1-.- 6arth /bser4atory
&he mangro4e,dominated ;anges 5elta < the .undarbans < is a com2le@ ecosystem com2rising
one of the three largest single tracts of mangro4e forests of the world. .ituated mostly in
Bangladesh, a small 2ortion of it lies in India. &he Indian 2art of the forest is estimated to be about
!9L, while the Bangladeshi 2art is 8!L. &o the south the forest meets the Bay of BengalB to the
east it is bordered by the Baleswar ?i4er and to the north there is a shar2 interface with intensi4ely
culti4ated land. &he natural drainage in the u2stream areas, other than the main ri4er channels, is
e4erywhere im2eded by e@tensi4e embankments and 2olders. &he .undarbans was originally
measured (about 00 years ago+ to be of about !*,#00 kmN. 1ow it has dwindled into about !J" of
the original siGe. &he total land area today is ),!)" kmN (including e@2osed sandbarsA ) kmN+ and
the remaining water area of !,8#) kmN encom2asses ri4ers, small streams and canals. ?i4ers in
the .undarbans are meeting 2laces of salt water and freshwater. &hus, it is a region of transition
between the freshwater of the ri4ers originating from the ;anges and the saline water of the Bay of
Bengal.
$9%
&he .undarbans along the Bay of Bengal has e4ol4ed o4er the millennia through natural
de2osition of u2stream sediments accom2anied by intertidal segregation. &he 2hysiogra2hy is
dominated by deltaic formations that include innumerable drainage lines associated with surface
and suba'ueous le4ees, s2lays and tidal flats. &here are also marginal marshes abo4e mean tide
le4el, tidal sandbars and islands with their networks of tidal channels, suba'ueous distal bars and
2roto,delta clays and silt sediments. &he .undarbans> floor 4aries from 0.9 m to .!! m abo4e sea
le4el.
$!0%
Biotic factors here 2lay a significant role in 2hysical coastal e4olution, and for wildlife a 4ariety of
habitats ha4e de4elo2ed which include beaches, estuaries, 2ermanent and semi,2ermanent
swam2s, tidal flats, tidal creeks, coastal dunes, back dunes and le4ees. &he mangro4e 4egetation
itself assists in the formation of new landmass and the intertidal 4egetation 2lays a significant role
in swam2 mor2hology. &he acti4ities of mangro4e fauna in the intertidal mudflats de4elo2
micromor2hological features that tra2 and hold sediments to create a substratum for mangro4e
seeds. &he mor2hology and e4olution of the eolian dunes is controlled by an abundance of
@ero2hytic and halo2hytic 2lants. :ree2ers, grasses and sedges stabilise sand dunes and
uncom2acted sediments. &he .underbans mudflats (Baner9ee, !998+ are found at the estuary and
on the deltaic islands where low 4elocity of ri4er and tidal current occurs. &he flats are e@2osed in
low tides and submerged in high tides, thus being changed mor2hologically e4en in one tidal cycle.
&he interior 2arts of the mudflats are magnificent home of lu@uriant mangro4es.
'coregions
.undarbans features two ecoregions Y F.undarbans freshwater swam2 forestsF (I70!*+ and
F.undarbans mangro4esF (I7!)0*+.
$!!%
Sundarans fresh&ater s&amp forests
&he .undarbans freshwater swam2 forests are a tro2ical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of
Bangladesh. It re2resents the brackish swam2 forests that lie behind the #undarbans 5angroves,
where the salinity is more 2ronounced. &he freshwater ecoregion is an area where the water is
only slightly brackish and becomes 'uite fresh during the rainy season, when the freshwater
2lumes from the ;anges and the Brahma2utra ri4ers 2ush the intruding salt water out and bring a
de2osit of silt. It co4ers an area of !),*00 s'uare kilometres (5,*00 s' mi+ of the 4ast ;anges,
Brahma2utra 5elta, e@tending from the northern 2art of 3hulna 5istrict and finishing at the mouth
of the Bay of Bengal with scattered 2ortions e@tending into India>s West Bengal state. &he
.undarbans freshwater swam2 forests lie between the u2land Mower ;angetic 2lains moist
deciduous forests and the brackish,water .undarbans mangro4es bordering the Bay of Bengal.
$!%
- 4ictim of large,scale clearing and settlement to su22ort one of the densest human 2o2ulations in
-sia, this ecoregion is under a great threat of e@tinction. Hundreds of years of habitation and
e@2loitation ha4e e@acted a hea4y toll on this ecoregion>s habitat and biodi4ersity. &here are two
2rotected areas < 1arendra2ur (!!0 km
+ and -ta 5anga Baor (0 km
+ that co4er a mere !"0 km

of the ecoregion. Habitat loss in this ecoregion is so e@tensi4e, and the remaining habitat is so
fragmented, that it is difficult to ascertain the com2osition of the original 4egetation of this
ecoregion. -ccording to :ham2ion and .eth (!9*8+, the freshwater swam2 forests are
characterised by )eritiera minor, J$locar3us molluccensis, &ruguiera con,ugata, #onneratia
a3etala, %vicennia o66icinalis, and #onneratia caseolaris, with Pandanus tectorius, )ibiscus
tiliaceus, and 1i3a 6ruticans along the fringing banks.
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Sundarans ,angro%es
.ee alsoA 7angro4e
&he .undarbans 7angro4es ecoregion on the coast forms the seaward fringe of the delta and is
the world>s largest mangro4e ecosystem, with 0,)00 s'uare kilometres (#,900 s' mi+ of area
co4ered. &he dominant mangro4e s2ecies )eritiera 6omes is locally known as sundri or sundari.
7angro4e forests are not home to a great 4ariety of 2lants. &hey ha4e a thick cano2y, and the
undergrowth is mostly seedlings of the mangro4e trees. Besides the sundari, other s2ecies that
make u2 the forest include %vicennia s337, J$locar3us mekongensis, J$locar3us granatum,
#onneratia a3etala, &ruguiera g$mnorrhiEa, Aereo3s decandra, %egiceras corniculatum,
'hiEo3hora mucronata, and 1$3a 6ruticans 2alms.
$!"%
&wenty,si@ of the fifty broad mangro4e ty2es found in the world grow well in the .undarbans. &he
commonly identifiable 4egetation that grow in the dense mangro4e forests at the .undarbans are
salt water mi@ed forest, mangro4e scrub, brackish water mi@ed forest, littoral forest, wet forest and
wet allu4ial grass forests. &he Bangladesh mangro4e 4egetation of the .undarbans differs greatly
from other non,deltaic coastal mangro4e forests and u2land forests associations. Inlike the
former, the ?hiGo2horaceae are of minor im2ortance.
'cological succession
6cological succession is generally defined as the successi4e occu2ation of a site by different 2lant
communities.
$!)%
In an accreting mudflats the outer community along the se'uence re2resents the
2ioneer community which is gradually re2laced by the ne@t community re2resenting the seral
stages and finally by a clima@ community ty2ical of the climatic Gone.
$!5%
&rou2 suggested that
succession began in the newly accreted land created by fresh de2osits of eroded soil.
$!*%
&he
2ioneer 4egetation on these newly accreted sites is #onneratia, followed by %vicennia and 1$3a.
-s the ground is ele4ated as a result of soil de2osition, other trees make their a22earance. &he
most 2re4alent, though one of the late s2ecies to a22ear, is 0Dcoecaria. -s the le4el of land rises
through accretion and the land is only occasionally flooded by tides, )eritiera 6omes begins to
a22ear.
(lora
.undari tree ()eritiera littoralis+
;ol2ata (1$3a 6ruticans+
- total )5 genera and "") 2lant s2ecies were recorded by 5a4id 8rain in !90".
$!#%
While most of
the mangro4es in other 2arts of the world are characterised by members of the ?hiGo2horaceae,
-4icenneaceae or :ombretaceae, the mangro4es of Bangladesh are dominated by the 7al4aceae
and 6u2horbiaceae.
$*%
5ominant flora includesA
&he .undarbans flora is characterised by the abundance of sundari ()eritiera 6omes+, gewa
(0Dcoecaria agallocha+, goran (Aerio3s decandra+ and keora (#onneratia a3etala+ all of which
occur 2rominently throughout the area. &he characteristic tree of the forest is the sundari ()eritiera
littoralis+, from which the name of the forest had 2robably been deri4ed. It yields a hard wood, used
for building houses and making boats, furniture and other things. 1ew forest accretions is often
cons2icuously dominated by keora (#onneratia a3etala+ and tidal forests. It is an indicator s2ecies
for newly accreted mudbanks and is an im2ortant s2ecies for wildlife, es2ecially s2otted deer (%Dis
aDis+. &here is abundance of dhundul or 2assur (J$locar3us granatum+ and kankra (&ruguiera
g$mnorrhiEa+ though distribution is discontinuous. -mong 2alms, Poresia coaractata,
5$riostach$a 4ightiana and gol2ata (1$3a 6ruticans+, and among grasses s2ear grass (?m3erata
c$lindrica+ and khagra (Phragmites karka+ are well distributed.
&he 4arieties of the forests that e@ist in .underbans include mangro4e scrub, littoral forest,
saltwater mi@ed forest, brackish water mi@ed forest and swam2 forest. Besides the forest, there
are e@tensi4e areas of brackish water and freshwater marshes, intertidal mudflats, sandflats, sand
dunes with ty2ical dune 4egetation, o2en grassland on sandy soils and raised areas su22orting a
4ariety of terrestrial shrubs and trees. .ince 8rain>s re2ort there ha4e been considerable changes
in the status of 4arious mangro4e s2ecies and ta@onomic re4ision of the man,gro4e flora.
$!8%
Howe4er, 4ery little e@2loration of the botanical nature of the .undarbans has been made to kee2
u2 with these changes. 5ifferences in 4egetation ha4e been e@2lained in terms of freshwater and
low salinity influences in the 1ortheast and 4ariations in drainage and siltation. &he .undarbans
has been classified as a moist tro2ical forest demonstrating a whole mosaic of seres, com2rising
2rimary colonisation on new accretions to more mature beach forests. Historically 4egetation ty2es
ha4e been recognised in broad correlation with 4arying degrees of water salinity, freshwater
flushing and 2hysiogra2hy.
(auna
.ee alsoA &iger attacks in the .undarbans
:hital deers (%Dis aDis+ are widely seen
- ?hesus 7aca'ue (5acaca mulatta+
&he .undarbans 2ro4ides a uni'ue ecosystem and a rich wildlife habitat. -ccording to the 0!!
tiger census, the .undarbans ha4e about #0 tigers. -lthough 2re4ious rough estimates had
suggested much higher figures close to "00, the 0!! census 2ro4ided the first e4er scientific
estimate of tigers from the area
$!9%$0%
&iger attacks are fre'uent in the .undarbans. Between !00
and 50 2eo2le are killed 2er year.
&here is much more wildlife here than 9ust the endangered ?oyal Bengal &iger (Panthera tigris
tigris+. 7ost im2ortantly, mangro4es are a transition from the marine to freshwater and terrestrial
systems, and 2ro4ide critical habitat for numerous s2ecies of small fish, crabs, shrim2s and other
crustaceans that ada2t to feed and shelter, and re2roduce among the tangled mass of roots,
known as 2neumato2hores, which grow u2ward from the anaerobic mud to get the su22ly of
o@ygen. Cishing :ats, 7aca'ues, wild boars, :ommon ;rey 7ongooses, Co@es, 0ungle :ats,
Clying Co@es, 8angolins, and s2otted deer are also found in abundance in the .undarbans.
- !99! study has re4ealed that the Bangladeshi 2art of the .undarbans su22orts di4erse
biological resources including at least !50 s2ecies of commercially im2ortant fish, #0 s2ecies of
birds, ) s2ecies of mammals, "5 re2tiles and 8 am2hibian s2ecies. &his re2resents a significant
2ro2ortion of the s2ecies 2resent in Bangladesh (i.e. about "0L of the re2tiles, "#L the birds and
")L of the mammals+ and includes a large number of s2ecies which are now e@tinct elsewhere in
the country.
$!%
&wo am2hibians, !) re2tiles, 5 a4es and fi4e mammals are 2resently endangered.
$%
&he .undarbans is an im2ortant wintering area for migrant water birds
$"%
and is an area suitable
for watching and studying a4ifauna.
$)%
&he management of wildlife is 2resently restricted to, firstly, the 2rotection of fauna from 2oaching,
and, secondly, designation of some areas as wildlife sanctuaries where no e@traction of forest
2roduce is allowed and where the wildlife face few disturbances. -lthough the fauna of
Bangladesh ha4e diminished in recent times
$*%
and the .undarbans has not been s2ared from this
decline, the mangro4e forest retains se4eral good wildlife habitats and their associated fauna. /f
these, the tiger and dol2hin are target s2ecies for 2lanning wildlife management and tourism
de4elo2ment. &here are high 2rofile and 4ulnerable mammals li4ing in two contrasting
en4ironments, and their statuses and management are strong indicators of the general condition
and management of wildlife. .ome of the s2ecies are 2rotected by legislation, notably by the
Bangladesh Wildlife (8reser4ation+ /rder, !9#" (8./. " of !9#"+.
$5%
Predators
.ee alsoA &iger attacks in the .undarbans
- Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris+
- saltwater crocodile (Arocod$lus 3orosus+ in .undarbans
&he fertile soils of the delta ha4e been sub9ect to intensi4e human use for centuries, and the
ecoregion has been mostly con4erted to intensi4e agriculture, with few encla4es of forest
remaining. &he remaining forests, together with the .undarbans mangro4es, are im2ortant habitats
for the endangered Bengal &iger (Panthera tigris+. &he forest also contains leo2ard (Panthera
3ardus 6usca+ and se4eral other smaller 2redators such as the 9ungle cats ((elis chaus+, fishing
cats (Prionailurus viverrinus+, and leo2ard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis+.
$!%
.e4eral 2redators dwell in the labyrinth of channels, branches and roots that 2oke u2 into the air.
&his is the only mangro4e ecoregion that harbours the Indo,8acific region>s largest 2redator, the
Bengal &iger. Inlike in other habitats, tigers li4e here and swim among the mangro4e islands,
where they hunt scarce 2rey such as the :hital deer (aDis aDis+, Indian 7unt9acs(5untiacus
munt,ak+, Wild boars (#us scro6a+, and e4en ?hesus 7aca'ue (5acaca mulatta+. It is estimated
that there are now 500
$0%
Bengal tigers and about "0,000 s2otted deer in the area. &he tigers
regularly attack and kill humans who 4enture into the forest, human deaths ranging from "0<!00
2er year.
$*%
.ome of the re2tiles are 2redators too, including two s2ecies of crocodiles, the .altwater :rocodile
(Arocod$lus 3orosus+ and 7ugger crocodile (Arocod$lus 3alustris), as well as the ;harial
(avialis gangeticus+ and the Water monitor liGards (Faranus salvator+, all of which hunt on both
land and water. .harks and the ;angetic dol2hins (Platanista gangetica+ roam the waterways.
$#%
#%ifauna
- ;rey,headed Cish 6agle
- Blue,eared 3ingfisher sighted in the .undarbans
&he forest is also rich in bird life, with !#0 s2ecies including the endemic Brown,winged
3ingfishers (Pelargo3sis amauro3tera) and the globally threatened Messer -d9utants (=e3to3tilos
,avanicus) and 7asked Cinfoots ()elio3ais 3ersonata) and birds of 2rey such as the os2reys
(Pandion haliaetus), White,bellied .ea 6agles ()aliaeetus leucogaster) and ;rey,headed Cish,
eagles (?chth$o3haga ichth$aetus). &he .undarbans was designated a ?amsar site on ! 7ay
!99.
$!"%
.ome of the more 2o2ular birds found in this region are /2en Billed .torks, Black,headed
Ibis, Water Hens, :oots, 8heasant,tailed 0acanas, 8ariah 3ites, Brahminy 3ites, 7arsh Harriers,
.wam2 8artridges, ?ed 0unglefowls, .2otted 5o4es, :ommon 7ynahs, 0ungle :rows, 0ungle
Babblers, :otton &eals, Herring ;ulls, :as2ian &erns, ;ray Herons, Brahminy 5ucks, .2ot,billed
8elicans, great 6grets, 1ight Herons, :ommon .ni2es, Wood .and2i2ers, ;reen 2igeons, ?ose
?inged 8arakeets, 8aradise Clycatchers, :ormorants, White,bellied .ea 6agles, .eagulls,
:ommon 3ingfishers, 8eregrine falcons, Wood2eckers, Whimbrels, Black,tailed ;odwits, Mittle
.tints, 6astern knots, :urlews, ;olden 8lo4ers, 8intails, White eyed 2ochards and Messer
Whistling 5ucks.
#:ua fauna
- Margetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon+
- 7udski22er (Perio3hthalmus argentilineatus+
.ome of the fish and am2hibians found in the .underbans are sawfish, butter Cish, electric ray,
common car2, sil4er car2, barb, ri4er eels, starfish, king crab, fiddler crab, hermit crab, 2rawn,
shrim2s, ;angetic dol2hins, ski22ing frogs, common toads and tree Crogs. /ne 2articularly
interesting fish is the mudski22er, a gobioid that climbs out of the water into mudflats and e4en
climbs trees.
Reptiles
&he .undarbans 1ational 8ark houses an e@cellent number of re2tiles as well. .ome of the
common ones are oli4e ridley turtles, sea snakes, dog faced water snakes, green turtles, estuarine
crocodiles, chameleons, king cobras, sal4ator liGards, hard shelled batgun terra2ins, ?ussels
4i2ers, mouse gekkos, monitor liGards, cur4iers, hawks bill turtles, 2ythons, common kraits, green
4ine snake, checkered keelbacks and rat snakes. &he ri4er terra2in (&atagur baska+, Indian fla2,
shelled turtles (=issem$s 3unctata+, 2eacock soft,shelled turtles (Trion$D hurum+, yellow monitors
(Faranus 6lavescens+, water monitors (Faranus salvator+, and Indian 2ythons (P$thon molurus+ are
some of the resident s2ecies.
'ndangered and extinct species
6@tinct 0a4an ?hinoceros of .underbans, drawing from !8##
;angetic dol2hin, drawing from !89)
Corest in4entories re4eal a decline in standing 4olume of the two main commercial mangro4e
s2ecies < sundari ()eritiera s22.+ and gewa (0Dcoecaria agallocha+ Y by )0L and )5L
res2ecti4ely between !959 and !98".
$8%$9%
5es2ite a total ban on all killing or ca2ture of wildlife
other than fish and some in4ertebrates, it a22ears that there is a consistent 2attern of de2leted
biodi4ersity or loss of s2ecies (notably at least si@ mammals and one im2ortant re2tile+ in the 0th
century, and that the Fecological 'uality of the original mangro4e forest is decliningF.
$*%
&he endangered s2ecies that li4e within the .undarbans and e@tinct s2ecies that used to be
include the ?oyal Bengal tigers, estuarine crocodile, northern ri4er terra2ins (&atagur baska+, /li4e
?idley turtles, ;angetic dol2hin, ground turtles, Hawks Bill &urtles and 3ing :rabs (Horse shoe+.
.ome s2ecies such as hog deer (%Dis 3orcinus+, water buffalos (&ubalus bubalis+, Barasingha or
swam2 deer (Aervus duvauceli+, 0a4an rhinoceros ('hinoceros sondaicus+, single horned
rhinoceros ('hinoceros unicornis+ and the mugger crocodiles or marsh crocodiles (Arocod$lus
3alustris+ started to become e@tinct in the .undarbans towards the middle of the 0th century, due
to e@tensi4e 2oaching and man hunting by the British.
$%
&here are se4eral other threatened
mammal s2ecies, such as the ca22ed langurs (#emno3ithecus 3ileatus+, smooth,coated otters
(=utrogale 3ers3icillata+, /riental small,clawed otters (%on$D cinerea+, and great Bengal :i4ets
(Fiverra Eibetha+.
Climate change impact
.undarbans a few months after :yclone .idr
7udflats in .undarbans
&he 2hysical de4elo2ment 2rocesses along the coast are influenced by a multitude of factors,
com2rising wa4e motions, micro and macro,tidal cycles and long shore currents ty2ical to the
coastal tract. &he shore currents 4ary greatly along with the monsoon. &hese are also affected by
cyclonic action. 6rosion and accretion through these forces maintains 4arying le4els, as yet not
2ro2erly measured, of 2hysiogra2hic change whilst the mangro4e 4egetation itself 2ro4ides a
remarkable stability to the entire system. 5uring each monsoon season almost all the Bengal 5elta
is submerged, much of it for half a year. &he sediment of the lower delta 2lain is 2rimarily ad4ected
inland by monsoonal coastal setu2 and cyclonic e4ents. /ne of the greatest challenges 2eo2le
li4ing on the ;anges 5elta may face in coming years is the threat of rising sea le4els caused
mostly by subsidence in the region and 2artly by climate change.
In many of the Bangladesh>s mangro4e wetlands, freshwater reaching the mangro4es was
considerably reduced from the !9#0s due to di4ersion of freshwater in the u2stream area by
neighbouring India through the use of the Carakka Barrage bordering ?a9shahi, Bangladesh. -lso,
the Bengal Basin is slowly tilting towards the east due to neo,tectonic mo4ement, forcing greater
freshwater in2ut to the Bangladesh .undarbans. -s a result, the salinity of the Bangladesh
.undarbans is much lower than that of the Indian side. - !990 study noted that there Fis no
e4idence that en4ironmental degradation in the Himalayas or a >greenhouse> induced rise in sea
le4el ha4e aggra4ated floods in BangladeshFB howe4er, a 00# re2ort by I16.:/, F:ase .tudies
on :limate :hange and World HeritageF has stated that an anthro2ogenic )5,cm rise in sea le4el
(likely by the end of the !st century, according to the Intergo4ernmental 8anel on :limate
:hange+, combined with other forms of anthro2ogenic stress on the .undarbans, could lead to the
destruction of #5L of the .undarbans mangro4es.
$"0%
-lready, Mohachara Island and 1ew 7oore
IslandJ.outh &al2atti Island ha4e disa22eared under the sea, and ;horamara Island is half
submerged.
$"!%
'conomy
Cishing boat in .undarbans
Mogging boat in the .undarbans
Cerry boat in the .undarbans
&he .undarbans 2lays an im2ortant role in the economy of the southwestern region of Bangladesh
as well as in the national economy. It is the single largest source of forest 2roduce in the country.
&he forest 2ro4ides raw materials for wood based industries. In addition to traditional forest
2roduce like timber, fuelwood, 2ul2wood etc., large scale har4est of non,wood forest 2roducts
such as thatching materials, honey, bees,wa@, fish, crustacean and mollusc resources of the forest
takes 2lace regularly. &he 4egetated tidal lands of the .undarbans also function as an essential
habitat, 2roduces nutrients and 2urifies water. &he forest also tra2s nutrient and sediment, acts as
a storm barrier, shore stabiliser and energy storage unit. Mast but not the least, the .underbans
2ro4ides a wonderful aesthetic attraction for local and foreign tourists.
&he forest also has immense 2rotecti4e and 2roducti4e functions. :onstituting 5!L of the total
reser4ed forest estate of Bangladesh, it contributes about )!L of total forest re4enue and
accounts for about )5L of all timber and fuel wood out2ut of the country.
$"%
- number of industries
(e.g. news2rint mill, match factory, hardboard, boat building, furniture making+ are based on the
raw materials obtained from the .undarbans ecosystem. Harious non,timber forest 2roducts and
2lantations hel2 generate considerable em2loyment and income generation o22ortunities for at
least half a million 2oor coastal 2o2ulation. It also 2ro4ides natural 2rotection to life and 2ro2erties
of the coastal 2o2ulation in the cyclone 2rone Bangladesh.
Haitation
&he .undarbans has a 2o2ulation of o4er ) million
$""%
but much of it is mostly free of 2ermanent
human habitation. 5es2ite human habitations and a century of economic e@2loitation of the forest
well into the late forties, the .undarbans retained a forest closure of about #0L according to the
/4erseas 5e4elo2ment -dministration (/5-+ of the Inited 3ingdom in !9#9.
#dministration
8olice Boat 8atrolling in .undarban 1ational 8ark, West Bengal
&he .undarbans area is one of the most densely 2o2ulated in the world, and the 2o2ulation is
increasing. -s a result, half of this ecoregion>s mangro4e forests ha4e been cut down to su22ly
fuelwood and other natural resources. 5es2ite the intense and large,scale e@2loitation, this still is
one of the largest contiguous areas of mangro4es in the world. -nother threat comes from
deforestation and water di4ersion from the ri4ers inland, which causes far more silt to be brought to
the estuary, clogging u2 the waterways.
&he 5irectorate of Corest is res2onsible for the administration and management of .undarban
1ational 8ark in West Bengal. &he 8rinci2al :hief :onser4ator of Corests (8::C+, Wildlife = Bio,
5i4ersity = e@,officio :hief Wildlife Warden, West Bengal is the senior most e@ecuti4e officer
looking o4er the administration of the 2ark. &he :hief :onser4ator of Corests (.outh+ = 5irector,
.undarban Bios2here ?eser4e is the administrati4e head of the 2ark at the local le4el and is
assisted by a 5e2uty Cield 5irector and an -ssistant Cield 5irector. &he 2ark area is di4ided into
two ranges, o4erseen by range forest officers. 6ach range is further sub,di4ided into beats. &he
2ark also has floating watch stations and cam2s to 2rotect the 2ro2erty from 2oachers.
&he 2ark recei4es financial aid from the .tate ;o4ernment as well as the 7inistry of 6n4ironment
and Corests under 4arious 8lan and 1on,8lan Budgets. -dditional funding is recei4ed under the
8ro9ect &iger from the :entral ;o4ernment. In 00!, a grant of I.Z0,000 was recei4ed as a
2re2aratory assistance for 2romotion between India and Bangladesh from the World Heritage
Cund.
- new 3hulna Corest :ircle was created in Bangladesh back in !99" to 2reser4e the forest, and
:hief :onser4ators of Corests ha4e been 2osted since. &he direct administrati4e head of the
5i4ision is the 5i4isional Corest /fficer, based at 3hulna, who has a number of 2rofessional,
sub2rofessional and su22ort staff and logistic su22orts for the im2lementation of necessary
management and administrati4e acti4ities. &he basic unit of management is the com2artment.
&here are 55 com2artments in four Corest ?anges and these are clearly demarcated mainly by
natural features such as ri4ers, canals and creeks.
Protection
- ma2 of the 2rotected areas of the Indian .underbans, showing the boundaries of the &iger
?eser4e, the 1ational 8ark and the three Wildlife .anctuaries, conser4ation and lodging centres,
subsistence towns, and access 2oints. &he entire forested (dark green+ area constitutes the
Bios2here ?eser4e, with the remaining forests outside the national 2ark and wildlife sanctuaries
being gi4en the status of a reser4e forest.
&he Bangladesh 2art of the forest lies under two forest di4isions, and four administrati4e ranges 4iG
:hand2ai (3hulna 5istrict+, .arankhola (3hulna+, and Burigoalini (.atkhira 5istrict+ and has
si@teen forest stations. It is further di4ided into fifty,fi4e com2artments and nine blocks.
$%
&here are
three wildlife sanctuaries established in !9## under the Bangladesh Wildlife (8reser4ation+ /rder,
!9#" (8./. " of !9#"+.&he West Bengal 2art of the forest lies under the district of .outh = 1orth
) 8arganas.
8rotected areas co4er !5L of the .undarbans mangro4es including .undarbans 1ational 8ark
and .a9nakhali Wildlife .anctuary, in West Bengal, .undarbans 6ast, .undarbans .outh and
.undarbans West Wildlife .anctuaries in Bangladesh.
$!"%
Sundaran National Par-
7ain articleA .undarbans 1ational 8ark
&he .undarban 1ational 8ark is a 1ational 8ark, &iger ?eser4e, and a Bios2here ?eser4e in West
Bengal, India. It is 2art of the .undarbans on the ;anges 5elta, and ad9acent to the .undarbans
?eser4e Corest in Bangladesh. &he delta is densely co4ered by mangro4e forests, and is one of
the largest reser4es for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a 4ariety of bird, re2tile and in4ertebrate
s2ecies, including the salt,water crocodile. &he 2resent .undarbans 1ational 8ark was declared
as the core area of .undarbans &iger ?eser4e in !9#" and a wildlife sanctuary in !9##. /n ) 7ay
!98) it was declared a 1ational 8ark.
Sundarans !est !ildlife Sanctuary
7ain articleA .undarbans West Wildlife .anctuary
.undarbans West Wildlife .anctuary is a I16.:/ World Heritage .ite. &he region su22orts
se4eral mangro4es, includingA s2arse stands of ;ewa (0Dcoecaria agallocha+ and dense stands of
;oran (Aerio3s tagal+, with discontinuous 2atches of Hantal 2alm (PhoeniD 3aludosa+ on drier
ground, ri4er banks and le4ees. &he fauna of the sanctuary is 4ery di4erse with some )0 s2ecies
of mammals, *0 s2ecies of birds and "5 s2ecies of re2tiles. &he greatest of these being the
Bengal &iger of which an estimated "50 remain in the Bangladesh .undarbans. /ther large
mammals are wild boar, :hital horin (s2otted deer+, Indian otter and maca'ue monkey. Ci4e
s2ecies of marine turtles fre'uent the coastal Gone and two endangered re2tiles are 2resent < the
estuarine crocodile and the Indian 2ython.
$")%
Sundarans 'ast !ildlife Sanctuary
7ain articleA .undarbans 6ast Wildlife .anctuary
.undarbans 6ast Wildlife .anctuary e@tends o4er an area of "!,# ha. .undari trees ()eritiera
6omes+ dominate the flora, inters2ersed with ;ewa (0Dcoecaria agallocha+ and 8assur
(J$locar3us mekongensis+ with 3ankra (&ruguiera g$mnorrhiEa+ occurring in areas sub9ect to more
fre'uent flooding. &here is an understory of .hingra (A$nometra rami6lora+ where, soils are drier
and -mur (%glaia cucullata+ in wetter areas and ;oran (Aerio3s decandra+ in more saline 2laces.
1y2a 2alm (1$3a 6ruticans+ is wides2read along drainage lines.
Sundarans South !ildlife Sanctuary
7ain articleA .undarbans .outh Wildlife .anctuary
.undarbans .outh Wildlife .anctuary e@tends o4er an area of "*,9#0 ha. &here is e4idently the
greatest seasonal 4ariation in salinity le4els and 2ossibly re2resents an area of relati4ely longer
duration of moderate salinity where ;ewa (0Dcoecaria agallocha+ is the dominant woody s2ecies.
It is often mi@ed with .undri, which is able to dis2lace in circumstances such as artificially o2ened
cano2ies where .undri does not regenerate as effecti4ely. It is also fre'uently associated with a
dense understory of ;oran (Aerio3s tagal+ and sometimes 8assur.
Sajna-hali !ildlife Sanctuary
7ain articleA .a9nakhali Wildlife .anctuary
.a9nakhali Wildlife .anctuary is a "* km
area in the northern 2art of the .undarbans delta in

.outh ) 8arganas district, West Bengal, India. &he area is mainly mangro4e scrub, forest and
swam2. It was set u2 as a sanctuary in !9#*. It is home to a rich 2o2ulation of different s2ecies of
wildlife, such as water fowl, heron, 2elican, s2otted deer, ?hesus 7aca'ues, wild boar, tigers,
Water 7onitor MiGards, Cishing :ats, otters, /li4e ridley turtle, crocodiles, Batagur &erra2ins, and
migratory birds.
0n popular culture
Idol of 7anasa, the deity of snakes
Bonbibi, the goddess of .undarbans
&he .undarbans is celebrated through numerous Bengali folk songs and dances, often centred
around the folk heroes, gods and goddesses s2ecific to the .underbans (like Bonbibi and 5akshin
?ai+ and to the Mower ;angetic 5elta (like 7anasa and :hand .adagar+. &he Bengali folk e2ic
7anasamangal mentions 1etidho3ani and has some 2assages set in the .undarbans during the
heroine Behula>s 'uest to bring her husband =akhindar back to life.
&he area 2ro4ides the setting for se4eral no4els by 6milio .algari, (e.g. The 5$ster$ o6 the &lack
"ungle+. #undarbane$ %r,an #ardar, a no4el by .hibshankar 7itra, and Padma 1adir 5a,hi, a
no4el by 7anik Bando2adhyay, are based on the rigors of li4es of 4illagers and fishermen li4ing in
the .underbans region, and are wo4en into the Bengali 2syche to a great e@tent. 8art of the 2lot of
.alman ?ushdie>s Booker 8riGe winning no4el, 5idnightIs Ahildren is set in the .undarbans. &his
forest is ado2ted as the setting of 3unal Basu>s short story F&he 0a2anese WifeF and the
subse'uent film ada2tation. 7ost of the 2lot of an internationally acclaimed no4elist, -mita4
;hosh>s 00) no4el, The )ungr$ Tide, is set in the .undarbans.&he 2lot centres on a headstrong
-merican cetologist who arri4es to study a rare s2ecies of ri4er dol2hin, enlisting a local fisherman
and translator to aid her. &he book also mentions two accounts of the Bonbibi story of F5ukhey>s
?edem2tion.F
$"5%
&he .unPadma 1adir 5a,hi was made into a mo4ie by ;outam ;hose.
&he .underbans has been the sub9ect of a detailed and well,researched scholarly work on Bonbibi
(a >forest goddess> 4enerated by Hindus+, on the relation between the islanders and tigers and on
conser4ation and how it is 2ercei4ed by the inhabitants of the .undarbans,
$"*%
as well as numerous
non,fiction books, including The 5an-0ating Tigers o6 #undarbans by .y 7ontegomery for a
young audience, which was shortlisted for the 5orothy :anfield Cisher :hildren>s Book -ward. In
23 The Aountr$, 6mily 6den discusses her tra4els through the .underbans.
$"#%
1umerous
documentary mo4ies ha4e been made about the .underbans, including the 00" I7-] 2roduction
#hining &right about the Bengal &iger. &he acclaimed BB: &H series anges documents the li4es
of 4illagers, es2ecially honey collectors, in the .undarbans.
Damodar Valley Corporation
(?edirected from 5amodar Halley 8ro9ect+
5amodar Halley :or2oration
Type
;o4t. of India enter2rise
.tatutory Body
0ndustry Itilities (energy+
(ounded !9)8
Head:uarter
s
3olkata, West Bengal, India
2ey people
-ru2 ?oy :houdhury (&em2orary+
(:hairman+
Products
electrical 2ower
natural gas
Ser%ices
6lectricity generation and &ransmission,
distribution
natural gas e@2loration, 2roduction, .oil
conser4ation
'mployees !!,000 (0!0+
!esite www.d4cindia.org
Damodar Valley Corporation is a thermal and hydro power generating public organization of
India Under Ministry of Power, Govt. of India headquartered in the city of ol!ata, "est #engal,
India.
$%&
Contents
! History
o !.! Hision
o !. -ct 1o. ]IH /f !9)8
8ower ;eneration
" 5H: 2lants
) Infrastructure
5 Water 7anagement /4er4iew
* 0oint 4enture 2ro9ects
# ?eferences
8 1otes
History
5amodar Basin
'(), a legacy to the people of India, emerged as a culmination of attempts made over a whole
century to control the wild and erratic 'amodar river. *he river spans over an area of +,,--- !m
+

covering the states of #ihar . "est #engal.
*he 'amodar (alley has been ravaged frequently by floods of varying intensities and the first of
the ma/or recorded flood dates bac! to %01-. *hereafter serious floods occurred at regular intervals,
but it was the flood of %231 that left the worst devastation in its wa!e. 4s a result, the Governor of
#engal appointed a #oard of Inquiry headed by the Mahara/a of #urdwan and the noted physicist
'r. Meghnad 5aha as member. In their report, the #oard suggested creation of an authority similar
to the *ennessee (alley 4uthority 6*(47 of United 5tates of 4merica. *he Government of India
then appointed Mr. ".8. (oorduin, a senior engineer of the *(4 to ma!e recommendations for
comprehensive development of the valley. 4ccordingly, in 4ugust, %233, Mr. (oorduin submitted
his 9Preliminary Memorandum on the Unified 'evelopment of the 'amodar :iver9.
Mr. (oorduin;s 9Preliminary Memorandum9 suggested a multipurpose development plan designed
for achieving flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation in the 'amodar (alley.
<our consultants appointed by the Government of India e=amined it. *hey also approved the main
technical features of (oorduin;s scheme and recommended early initiation of construction
beginning with *ilaiya to be followed by Maithon.
#y 4pril %230, full agreement was practically reached between the three Governments of )entral,
#engal and #ihar on the implementation of the scheme and in March %23>, the 'amodar (alley
)orporation 4ct 64ct ?o. @I( of %23>7 was passed by the )entral 8egislature, requiring the three
governments A the )entral Government and the 5tate Governments of "est #engal and Bhar!hand
to participate /ointly for the purpose of building the 'amodar (alley )orporation.
*he )orporation came into e=istence on 0 Buly %23> as the first multipurpose river valley pro/ect of
independent India.
Vision
*o foster integrated development of 'amodar (alley )ommand 4rea and achieve par e=cellence in
its multifaceted activities of control of floods, provision of irrigation, generation, transmission and
distribution of electrical energy and also soil conservation, unified tourism, fisheries, socioC
economic . health development of villages within a radius of %- M of its pro/ects.
*o establish '() as one of the largest power ma/ors of Dastern India while discharging the
responsibilities of its other pro/ects adequately.
In order to achieve this goal against the bac!drop of the competitive mar!et scenario in the power
sector, the ob/ective of the )orporation has been redefined.
Act No. XIV Of 1948
6*he 4ct received the assent of the Governor General on the +0th of March, %23>7 4n 4ct to
provide for the establishment and regulation of a )orporation for the development of the 'amodar
(alley in the provinces of #ihar and "est #engal.
"here as it is e=pedient to provide for the establishment and regulation of a )orporation for the
development of the 'amodar (alley in the provinces of #ihar and "est #engalE
4nd whereas in pursuance of section %-1 of the Government of India 4ct, %21, 6+F Geo. ,,c. +7,
resolutions have been passed by all the )hambers of the Provincial 8egislatures of the said
Provinces to the effect that certain matters dealt within this 4ct which are enumerated in the
Provincial 8egislative 8ist should be regulated in those Provinces by 4ct of the 'ominion
8egislature
Poer !eneration
Dntrusted with the responsibilities of providing the vital input power for industrial growth in the
resource rich 'amodar (alley region, '() has been practically operating as a pioneer, using latest
available technologies to supply bul! power at reasonable rates to the ma/or industries.
'() has maintained its lead role in the eastern region by adopting itself to the challenges of time
and technology during the course of last F3 years. '() has been generating and transmitting power
since %2,1 and has succeeded not only in meeting the needs of consumers but has also helped to
increase the demand of power which itself is an inde= of development.
DVC plants
&hermal,:oal based
$%
Sr6
No6
City State
0nstalled Capacity in
,!
! Bokaro &hermal 8ower .tation B 0harkhand *"0
:handra2ura &hermal 8ower .tation 0harkhand 890
" 5urga2ur &hermal 8ower .tation
West
Bengal
"50
)
5urga2ur .teel &hermal 8ower
.tation
West
Bengal
!000
5 7e9ia &hermal 8ower .tation
West
Bengal
,")0
Sr6
No6
City State
,!
* 3oderma &hermal 8ower .tation 0harkhand 500O500
#
?aghunath2ur &hermal 8ower
.tation
$"%
West
Bengal
!00
8 Bokaro &hermal 8ower .tation, - 0harkhand !00
&otal A #,*!0
Hydel,8ower 2lants
$)%
Sr6
No6
City State
,!
! &ilaiya 5am
0harkhan
d
)
7aithon
5am
0harkhan
d
*".
"
8anchet
5am
0harkhan
d
80
&otal A !)#.
;as based 2ower 2lants
Sr6
No6
City State
,!
!
7aithon ;as &urbine .tation
$5%
0harkhan
d
8.5
&otal A 8.5
&hermal,coal cased (0Hs+
Sr6
No6
City State
0nstalled
Capacity in
,!
Remar-s
!
B8.:M
8ower 8lant
0harkhan
d
"0
/wned by Bokaro 8ower .u22ly :or2oration Mimited
(B8.:M+ a 9oint 4enture between 5H: and Bokaro
.teel Mimited
$*%
7aithon
8ower 8lant
0harkhan
d
!,050
/wned by 7aithon 8ower Mimited a 9oint 4enture
between 5H: and &ata 8ower
$#%
&otal A !,"5
Infrastr"ct"re
"ith the time '() developed and e=panded its infrastructure seven thermal power stations with a
capacity of ++ M", three hydroCelectric power stations with a capacity of %33 M" and one gas
turbine station with a capacity of >+., M" contribute to a total installed capacity of 2%1F., M".
Presently '() has F- subCstations and receiving stations more than ,,--Ccircuit !m of
transmission and distribution lines. '() has also four dams, a barrage and a networ! of canals that
play an effective role in water management. *he construction of chec! dams, development of
forests and farms and upland and wasteland treatment developed by '() play a vital role in eco
conservation.
5H: , :or2orate office building at 3olkata , HI8 ?oad
#ater $ana%ement O&er&ie
'() has a networ! of four dams C *ilaiya and Maithon on river #ara!ar, Panchet on river
'amodar and onar on river onar. #esides, 'urgapur barrage and the canal networ!, handed over
to Government of "est #engal in %2F3, remained a part of the total system of water management.
'() dams are capable of moderating floods of F.,% lac cusec to +., lac cusecs.
<our multipurpose dams were constructed during the period %23> to %2,2.
7aithon 5am
8anchet dam
&ilaiya 5am
3onar 5am
<lood reserve capacity of %+2+ mcm has been provided in 3 reservoirs, which can moderate a pea!
flood of %>12, cumec to a safe carrying capacity of 0-0F cumec.3%2 mcm of water is stored in the
3 '() reservoirs to supply F>- cusec of water to meet industrial, municipal and domestic
requirements in "est #engal . Bhar!hand.4 barrage on river 'amodar was constructed in %2,, at
'urgapur for supply of irrigation water to the districts of #urdwan, #an!ura . Googly.
Irrigation )ommand 4rea 6Gross7 C ,.F2 la!h hectares. Irrigation Potential )reated C 1.F3 la!h
hectares. )anals C +323 !m.
1-,--- ha of land in the upper valley is being irrigated, every year by lift irrigation with the water
available from %F,--- 6appro=7 chec! dams constructed by '().
'oint &ent"re pro(ects
7aithon 8ower Mimited
4 /oint venture company by '() and *ata Power has been formed to implement %-,- M"
Maithon :ight #an! *hermal Power Pro/ect for meeting the energy needs of power deficient
regions on e=port basis.
Bokaro 8ower .u22ly :or2oration Mimited (B8.:M+
4 /oint venture company of '() and 54I8 has been established to operate and maintain the
captive power and steam generation plant, hived off by 54I8 and its #o!aro 5teel Plant and supply
power and steam e=clusively to #o!aro 5teel 8td.
5H: 67&- :oal 7ines Mimited
4 /oint venture company formed with Dastern Minerals . *rading 4gency for development and
operation of )aptive )oal Mine #loc!s and supply of coal e=clusively to '() *hermal Power
Pro/ects of %-th and %%th plan.
7ining = -llied 7achinery :or2oration (7-7:+
*he Mining and 4llied Machinery )orporation 6M4M)7 in 'urgapur Hone of the P5UIs in India
set up under the rupeeCrouble agreement and en/oying 5oviet patronage in the early si=ties. #harat
Darth Movers has the highest sta!e 63>J7 in the consortium while the other two P5Us H '() and
)oal India H have +FJ sta!e each.

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Location and extent

(598 s' mi+. &he coalfields of ?anigan9

(,*# s' mi+

(#,"!# s' mi+

!#.! metres (55.0 ft+ @ .8 metres

()!,000 s' mi+, and although the delta lies mostly in

("),*# s' mi+

+, it is bordered by the countries of

(),58# s' mi+ which is !"."8L of the

!.8* 9)9 8).95 )*"

(!)* s' mi+

+. It was a water,logged 9ungle, in which tigers and other wild beasts

. of which about *,000 are in Bangladesh.

+ and -ta 5anga Baor (0 km

+ that co4er a mere !"0 km

area in the northern 2art of the .undarbans delta in

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