Rivers Beyond Borders Book

M A P S . P H O T O G R A P H S . I N F O G R A P H I C S

Rivers Beyond BordersI N D I A B A N G L A D E S H T R A N S - B O U N D A R Y R I V E R A T L A SI N D I A B A N G L A D E S H T R A N S - B O U N D A R Y R I V E R A T L A S

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Satellite image of coal-carrying navigation trac on the river Baulai-Patly, a distributary of the Jadukata

BANGLADESH AND INDIA share some of the most intricate and complex river systems in the world. Ocial records show that fty four rivers cross the borders between India and Bangladesh. Rivers Beyond Borders: India Bangladesh Trans-boundary River Atlas is a narrative of these rivers, celebrating their journey as they ow towards the Bay of Bengal. At the core of this Atlas and fundamental to the understanding of the rivers, are the maps for each of these rivers. The maps have been prepared with GIS information and advanced tools available in the public domain. These maps combine with narratives, info-graphics, facts, gures and numerous images of each of these rivers, to capture and portray the stories of these

rivers in their entirety, unbroken by borders over which they ow.

This publication serves to highlight that the names of these rivers can be dierent in the various countries or districts but each of the courses are essentially the same river carrying the same water, same sediments. The past, present and future development of the region and its people is inextricably linked with these rivers and their oodplains. We hope that these rivers can create a bond of unity, be the basis of cooperation and harmony amongst countries through which they ow on their journey towards the sea.

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATUREBangladesh Country OceHouse 16, Road 2/3, Banani, Dhaka-1213 BangladeshIndia Country Oce B 88 Neetibagh, New Delhi - 110049, Indiawww.iucn.org/E4L

DRIKHouse 58, Road 15A (New)Dhanmondi Residential Area, Dhaka - 1209Bangladesh

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About IUCN

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world nd pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCNs work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring eective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientic research, manages eld projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the worlds oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCNs work is supported by over 1,000 sta in 45 oces and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.

www.iucn.org

About Ecosystems for Life

Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative is a multi-stakeholder research and dialogue process led by IUCN. Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Bangladesh, the project seeks to promote a better understanding of shared ecosystems between Bangladesh and India by providing a platform to discuss issues common to the region. The overall goal is improved integrated management of trans-boundary water regimes in South Asia.

Ecosystems for Life has involved eminent researchers from India and Bangladesh in conducting joint research on a number of topics, and using the ndings to develop policy recommendations.

www.iucn.org/e4l

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IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

Rivers Beyond Borders

Bushra nishatsanat K. Chakraborty

Md. emran hasanaJM Zobaidur rahman

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The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IuCn concerning the legal status of any country, territory, administration, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication are authors personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of IuCn.

Produced by: IuCn asia regional office, IuCn Bangladesh Country office, IuCn India Country office

This initiative is supported by the embassy of the Kingdom of the netherlands, dhaka.

Copyright: 2014 IuCn, International union for Conservation of nature and natural resources

reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Citation: nishat. B., Chakraborty, s. K., hasan. M.e and rahman. aJM. Z. 2014, rivers Beyond Borders: India Bangladesh Trans-boundary river atlas. ecosystems for life: a Bangladesh-India Initiative, IuCn, International union for Conservation of nature, dhaka, Bangladesh, pp XX + 152

Published by: drik PublicationsISBN: 978-984-33-8361

Concept: Bushra nishat, sanat K Chakrabarty, aJM Zobaidur rahman, rustam vania, ganesh Pangare

Coordination aJM Zobaidur rahman, sushmita Mandal, Kazimuddin ahmed, Bushra nishat

Creative & Editorial Design: rustam vania

Maps: Md. emran hasan, yasin Wahid rabby

Copy Editing: Perveen rasheed

Cover Photo: sayam u Chowdhury

Project team: Brian J. Furze, archana Chatterjee, Bushra nishat, sushmita Mandal, aJM Zobaidur rahman, aditi Jha, dipankar aich

Available from: IuCn, International union for Conservation of nature Bangladesh Country office house 16, road 2/3, Banani, dhaka 1213, Bangladesh www.iucn.org/Bangladesh

IuCn India Country office B 88, neetibagh, new delhi 110049, India www.iucn.org/India

www.iucn.org/E4L

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AcknowledgementThIs atlas has been conceptualised and produced by ecosystems for life: a Bangladesh-India Initiative, a project facilitated by IuCn, with information and contributions from researchers and writers in Bangladesh and India. IuCn acknowledges and thanks all of the contributors for sharing their experiences, thoughts and ideas, without which this publication would not have been possible.

We would also like to express our thanks to all members of the Project advisory Committee (PaC) for their invaluable support to ecosystems for life, and their guidance and advice during conceptualization of this river atlas, especially, dr. Q K ahmad and Meena gupta, Co-Chairs, PaC for their continuous encouragement, and to Professor K. B. sajjadur rasheed for critiquing each of the maps and mentoring our team.

We are grateful to aban Marker Kabraji, regional director, IuCn asia regional (aro) and Co-Chair of the Project advisory Committee, for her dynamic leadership, constant support and encouragement to this initiative and to dr. T. P. singh, deputy regional director Programmes, IuCn, aro for always guiding us. Thanks to Ishtiaq uddin ahmad and P. r. sinha, Country representatives of IuCn offices in Bangladesh and India.

special thanks go to dr. Brian Furze, the Project director of the ecosystems for life for his leadership and invaluable guidance.

We would like to thank sanat K. Chakraborty for his outstanding writing of all the 54 rivers, and for travelling the length of the rivers of Meghalaya and Tripura, and to rustam vania for his brilliant creative design. The inspiration, ideas and support of both have been instrumental in putting the atlas together under a very tight deadline.

To Prof. Kalyan rudra who was constantly around when support, help and advice were needed. We are indebted to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to inspire and guide us.

We feel deeply indebted to Prof. Mihir deb, Chairman, Tripura Pollution Control Board, Tripura; Ig, BsF, TripuraFrontiers; Ig, BsF, Meghalaya Frontiers; Prof. hiambok Jones syiemlieh, Prof. Bijay Mipun, department of geography, nehu, Meghalaya; geographer, dr. dondor giri nongkhlaw, Meghalaya and r r Thabah, IBld, Meghalaya; daniel Ingty, director, horticulture, Meghalaya, and Meghalaya electricity Corporation limited. These individuals and organisations in assam, Meghalaya and Tripura have helped identify rivers, important locations on their courses, and provided logistics and information.

We are extremely grateful to the people living in the villages and communities on the banks of the river for patiently answering our queries and sharing their valuable wisdom with us. They helped us lay the foundation for this atlas.

We deeply appreciate the effort put in by Md. emran hasan and yasin Wahid rabby, for producing all the maps displayed in the atlas. and special thanks to Kazimuddin ahmed, shahriar rahman, alison darcy and M.M. abdullah-al-Mamun, their support has been essential in bringing out this publication. We also thank Carel de groot, eklavya Prasad, ganesh Pangare, Jayanta Basu, aBM sarowar alam and Prof. Chandan Mahanta for sharing their brilliant photographs with us.

Finally, we thank all our colleagues at the asia regional office and country offices in Bangladesh and India, especially to archana Chatterjee, sushmita Mandal and dipankar aich for helping with coordination of contributors and writers.

above all, we are grateful to the embassy of the Kingdom of the netherlands, dhaka for their constant encouragement and support, specifically to Carel de groot, Michiel slotema, a.T.M. Khaleduzzaman and ambassador gerben de Jong. We sincerely thank our development partner for their support and trust to IuCn.

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ForewordFierce national competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflicts. If all the worlds people work together, a secure and sustainable water future can be ours. Kofi annan (2002), former secretary general, united nations.

It is my privilege and pleasure to write the foreword of this outstanding publication which is the outcome of the untiring efforts of a team of dedicated researchers from Bangladesh and India. This is not only an atlas containing some maps but includes narratives describing the trans-boundary rivers hydro-geomorphologically as well as culturally.

The ecosystems for life is a project of IuCn dedicated inter alia towards better understanding of our river system and this atlas provides a data base of rivers that both countries share. It is an effort to educate and bring to light the inter-linked cultures and geography that Bangladesh and India share. hence further highlighting the need for cooperation on managing and governing these fascinating river systems.

at the time of partition of Bengal in 1947, sir Cyril radcliffe, who as chairman of the Boundary Commissions, had said in his report, I have done what I can in drawing the line to eliminate any avoidable cutting of railway communications and of river systems, which are of importance to the life of the province; but it is quite impossible to draw a boundary under our terms of reference without causing some interruption of this sort, and I can only express the hope that arrangements can be made and maintained between two states that will minimize the consequences of this interruption as far as possible.

radcliffe himself realized that the international boundary was drawn without any regard to holistic eco-hydrology of the Bengal. In divided Bengla, the ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna system continues to flow cutting across geography, cultures and borders. The extreme seasonal variability of flows in rivers is governed by the geographical conditions of this subcontinent. Flood, changing geometry of meander, tendency of avulsion, sedimentation and decay of channels are among the various inherent characteristics of rivers in this region. The challenge for society is to cope with these hydro-geomorphic phenomena coupled with a better understanding of the fluvial system.

unfortunately rivers often become political entities, and there is a tendency to consider them as stock which must be tamed, extracted and transported to meet the ever increasing demands of irrigation, power generation, among other needs. however, maintaining ecological flow of rivers is critical to the sustenance of biodiversity as along with the well being of millions of people who depend on the rivers. We need to explore a rational meeting point between the volume of water that may be extracted from the rivers and the flow to be maintained in the rivers to sustain the ecosystem, of which humans are only a part.

The knowledge about the dynamic hydrology of Bengal has to be made widely available in the public domain. Changing river systems require an adaptive approach to their understanding, and updation of the knowledge base from time to time. I am sure this publication will fulfil the long felt need of the society at large. I hope that this atlas will attract the attention of students, scholars, policy makers and a wide section of the general public.

I wholeheartedly endorse this publication and congratulate the team of researchers for the meticulous work that has led to the production of this atlas. They deserve the gratitude of all of us who love rivers.

(Kalyan Rudra)october 31, 2014

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Contributors alison darcy Jeta sankrityayan Jayanta Basu Kaushik ghosh Khadijatul Kobra eva Masud al Mamun M. M. abdullah-al-Mamun Md. Maksudur rahman nuruzzaman Tunna s a olive shahriar rahman sheikh rokon yasin Wahid rabby Zunaid ali saqee shamim ara Khondaker sayam u Chowdhury and

Carel de groot sushmita Mandal eklavya Prasad ganesh Pangare aBM sarowar alam Kazimuddin ahmed Prabahan Puzari sayam u Chowdhury Chandan Mahanta

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Preface When IuCns ecosystems for life: a Bangladesh-India Initiative started its journey in 2010, the first task it set out to do was to answer the questions regarding which are the trans-boundary rivers between Bangladesh and India; where do they originate, and how are these rivers entwined with the lives, livelihood and culture of people in this region. In trying to explore these questions, the idea of the river atlas was born.

Bangladesh and India share fifty four large and small rivers. These rivers drain thousands of square kilometres and most importantly, represent complex ecological, socio-economic and cultural interdependencies. The ecosystems for life: a Bangladesh-India Initiative is an IuCn-led dialogue process which brings together diverse stakeholders from both countries to map complex connections, to formulate joint research and knowledge and to help strengthen the understanding of issues and contribute to the better management of these shared riverine ecosystems. This process has allowed representatives of civil society, academia, private sector and government organizations from both the countries to engage in extensive dialogue and information sharing and to produce a number of recommendations which will ultimately be fed into advocacy and policy approaches.

Rivers Beyond Borders: India-Bangladesh Trans-boundary River Atlas combines maps, photographs, infographics and narratives to chart out these fifty four rivers. The atlas not only features the most revered river, the ganga/ganges, or the most iconic river, the Brahmaputra, but also lesser known rivers such as the Bijni or the sonai Bardal or the Talma. Be it a river as long as the Brahmaputra (2900 km) or a small river such as the haora (55 km), each of these rivers is the lifeline of people and communities living on its banks and at times has also been at the root of their sufferings. Many of them have not made it into printed books, but each of the rivers has a story to tell and has been the fountainhead of folklores of the local communities.

The river atlas strictly adheres to the official list of the rivers that was developed in the mid 80s by Indo-Bangladesh Joint rivers Commission. however, it is important to note that since then many of the rivers have shifted course, many small streams have grown into larger water courses while many have trickled down in size, and as such the list of common rivers of the two countries needs to be revisited.

a sad fact that needs to be noted is, our society has not always been kind to our rivers. The entire riverine system in this region stands affected not only by pollution, but also from encroachment, and steady decline of water volume. The smaller rivers have hardly got the attention and importance that they deserve, leading to their further decline.

The spirit of the river atlas is a message, a plea and a pledge to save and protect our rivers, big or small, from degradation which would render them as mere names in the rivers of the bygone days _ let our rivers flow majestically, while we assure to tell their stories. Thus while this river atlas is a pioneering chronicle of the courses of these rivers, there are more stories to be told, more information needs to be collected and compiled, the necessity of understanding and narrating the state of our rivers cannot be overemphasised.

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River Atlas 1

How the atlas is organised 4

Introduction to the GBM region 6

Physiography of the GBM region 12

GanGa/GanGES BaSin 14

1 raimangal 182 Ichamati/Ichamati-Kalindi 203 Betna-Kodalia 224 Bhairab 245 Mathabhanga 266 ganga/ganges 287 Pagla 329 Punarbhaba 34

10 Tulai/Tentulia 3611 Tangon 3812 Kulik 4013 nagar 4214 Mahananda 4415 dahuk 40

Brahmaputra BaSin 48

8 atreyee /atrai 5416 Karatoya 5617 Talma 5818 ghoramara 6019 deonai-Jamuneswari 6220 Buri Teesta/Buri Tista 6421 Tista/Teesta 6622 Jaldhakha/dharla 7023 Torsa/raidak/dudhkumar 7224 yarlung-Tsangpo/Brahmaputra/Jamuna 7425 Jinjiram 78

Barak-mEGhna BaSin 80

26 Bandra/Chillakhali 8627 Bugi/Bhogai 8828 dareng/nitai 9029 simsang/someswari 9230 Kynshi/Jadukata 9431 umngi /Jalokhali-dhamalia 9632 Khasimara/nawagang 9833 umiew/umiam 10034 umsohryngkew/dhala 10235 umngot/Piyan 10436 Myntdu/sari-gowain 10637 Barak/surma 10838 Barak/Kushiyara 11039 sonai-Bardal 11240 Juri 11441 Manu 11642 dhalai 11843 longla/lungla 12044 Khowai 12245 sutang 12446 sonai 12647 haora 12848 sinai/Bijni 13049 Bijoya/salda 13250 gumti 13451 Kakri-dakatia 13652 selonia 13853 Muhuri 14054 Fenni/Feni 142

Hill Stories of Meghna Basin 144

Abbreviations and Acronyms 146

Glossary of Terms 147

References 151

Contents

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This atlas is a narrative of the 54 rivers crossing the borders between India and Bangladesh, celebrating their journey as they flow towards the Bay of Bengal

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River Atlas:sketching the rivers flowing between India and Bangladesh

Bangladesh and IndIa share some of the most intricate and complex river systems in the world. steep mountain streams, winding seasonal creeks, and magnificent, meandering rivers that flow into each other, join, separate and join again to form a remarkable network of waterways. These rivers dominate over the landscape by shaping not only the terrains through which they flow, they also impact the lives and livelihoods of the people who inhabit the thriving cities and countless villages that dot the prosperous tracts of extremely fertile lands made by these rivers. Thus, these rivers are inseparable from the history and legends of their respective region. Today, over 620 million people, that is almost one tenth of the population of the world, live on the banks of these rivers which have been the lifeline for generations gone and will remain so for generations to come.

according to official records, there are fifty four crossborder rivers between India and Bangladesh. rivers Beyond Borders: India-Bangladesh Trans-boundary river atlas is a narrative of these rivers, celebrating their journey as they flow towards the Bay of Bengal. In an attempt to understand the rivers, this atlas charts out the origins of the waterways, the local names of the tributaries, the length, the width, the flow, and the stories and legends that have unfolded over the years. over a three year period, researchers from Bangladesh and India together, collected and collated information on these rivers from publicly available scientific literature, reports, and maps. In the course of this exercise, it was observed that while the pathways, courses and even the understanding of flows of the three major rivers were well documented, the lesser known rivers or

tributaries have often been overlooked. again, most descriptions are often found to be incomplete and limited within the borders of the respective countries. But, in truth, each stretch of the river has its own character, its ambience, and its story unique in its territory. Their details and nuances needed to be understood to complete the stories of the river atlas. Therefore, efforts were undertaken to go beyond the limits of the print documents to capture the stories and images of these rivers from first hand narratives of the communities who live on the banks of the rivers in the remote corners of India and Bangladesh, across the mountains and flood plains, and the sea.

at the core of this atlas and fundamental to the understanding of the rivers, are the maps for each of these rivers. The maps have been prepared with gIs-rs tools and techniques using the information and resources available in the public domain. Information from sources such as the shuttle radar Topographic Mission (srTM), advanced spaceborne Thermal emission and reflection radiometer

Shifting Sands of Time

Rennels 1776 map shows the rivers of northern

Bengal. Since he recorded the flow of the

Brahmaputra, Teesta and Ganges these rivers

have changed course by many hundreds of

kilometres.

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IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

One river, many names

The mighty Brahmaputra is called

Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, Siang in Arunachal

Pradesh, Dihang in Assam and Jamuna in

Bangladesh

(asTer) has been used for elevation Modelling to analyse and understand hill shading, catchment area within the trans-boundary region. The fine-tuning, matching and drawing of these rivers at a small scale have been done through integrating satellite Imageries with secondary gIs information. Furthermore, information collected from the united states geological survey (usgs), Consultative group for International agriculture research (CgIar-CsI), Water resources Information system of India (WrIs-India), survey of Bangladesh (soB), Water resources Planning organisation (WarPo), Joint rivers Commission (JrC), Centre for environmental and geographic Information services (CegIs), dIva-gIs and google earth have been used for preparation of spatial database of these trans-boundary rivers. For verification, publicly available documents have been used and wherever possible technical experts and local communities have been consulted. Inspiration and of course important information were drawn from the 1776 rennels map of Bengal and Bihar, one of the first detailed maps of the Bengal delta, and remain to this day a vital chronicle of history of the rivers in this region.

as maps alone could not complete the description of the rivers, physical details of each river were added to understand them in their entirety. Infographics drawn to scale give idea of the length, offtake, outfall and important areas along the way. Thus, maps, narratives, info-graphics, facts, figures and most importantly, images, come together, capture and portray the stories of these rivers in their entirety, unbroken by borders over which they flow.

This publication serves to highlight that the names of these rivers can be different in the various countries or districts but each of the courses are essentially the same river carrying the same water, same sediments. These rivers have moulded the lands they flow through and provided refuge for the plants and animals that thrive along their banks and floodplains, but, most importantly are the lifeline and often the thread that connects the communities and people living on its bank. The past, present and future development of the region and its people are inextricably linked with these rivers and their floodplains. We hope that these rivers can bolster a bond of unity, be the basis of cooperation and harmony amongst countries through which they flow on their journey towards the sea.

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a few more channels, rivers and tributaries which cross the border and flow into Bangladesh from India were noted. Therefore, this list of common rivers needs to be revisited with further research using modern tools and technology and survey methods.

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identifying the riversThe very first detail that needed to be established was the list of rivers that flow across the border between Bangladesh and India, and the correct names of each of the rivers. The Joint rivers Commission of both the countries have enlisted 54 rivers as crossborder rivers. The river atlas has utilized this official documentation. a few more channels, rivers and tributaries which cross the border and flow into Bangladesh from India were noted. For example, nawagang originating in Khasi hills of Meghalaya and entering Bangladesh in netrokona is included in the official list. But there is another river by the same name, nayagang, which flows from Jaintia hills of Meghalaya and enters Bangladesh, east of the first river, also at netrokona. yet again, looking towards the south, the Karnaphuli, rising from the lusai (or Mizo) hills in Mizoram, India as the Khawthlangtuipui flows westward around 90 km in India before entering Bangladesh and travelling another 295 km before falling into the Bay of Bengal from the east. Population in the lusai hills is very sparse, consisting mainly of lusai and Mizo tribes, no major cities are situated along the river in India. In Bangladesh, the river basin is home to the only hydro-electric power plant of the country and Chittagong sea-port, the main port of Bangladesh, making it the most important river not only of Chittagong and Chittagong hill Tracts, but for the country itself.

To finalise the names of the rivers, wherever possible, official sources have been used. For depicting Indian or Bangladeshi names of the rivers in english, the following methods and sources were utilized. For rivers with two names in the official documents of the two countries, both the names and their current spellings have been used: for example, ganga\ganges or Tista\Teesta. For the iconic places, it was important to remain true to the authentic names thus the himalaya and sundarban are written as they are called by the people of the gBM region.

WHY THIS RIVER ATLAS

tales of namesThe names of the rivers tell us stories, show the diversity of the languages, the cultures, and even the terrains. as they cross territories and pass through different tracts, most rivers do not bear a single name. new names are given when they break up into channels or form junctions with other rivers. For example, while the name Brahmaputra seems to be the most well known, the river has many names as it crosses different geographical territories: Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan language at the rivers origin; in India as Siang in arunachal Pradesh, Dihang in the plains of assam, Dibang and Lohit join the Dihang in the assam valley, and Jamuna as it enters Bangladesh. similarly, the Bandra originating in the Indian state of western Meghalaya becomes Chillakhali as it enters Bangladesh, or Simsang emerging from the southern slope of the east garo hills in the district of Meghalaya, India takes the name Someswari in sylhet, Bangladesh. The river, known as Atrai in the western side of Bangladesh, on the Indian side, it is called Atreyee, same as in the hindu sacred books Mahabharata and Debi Purana. sometimes the names are transformed by the local dialect. The Bugi which rises from below the Tura range in the south garo hills district of Meghalaya becomes Bhogai in sherpur, Bangladesh. The names used in this atlas reflect this change- starting from the origin of a respective river as it makes its way towards the sea, the names are used in the same geographical order.

yet, the names are not unique and often different rivers have the same name. The most known example, would be yamuna, a tributary of the ganges in India, and Jamuna, the name of Brahmaputra as he enters Bangladesh. Interestingly, such is the sacredness of this name, there are around 94 rivers named yamuna/ Jamuna in India. The example of two transboundary rivers by the name of nawagang, originating from two different points in Meghalaya and entering into Bangladesh through

netrokona has been cited earlier in this chapter. sometimes, a river has multiple names, Kulik, which originates in and flows through Thakurgaon in the north west region of Bangladesh is locally known as Kulik or Kuluk or Kokil. The official name used by Bangladesh Water development Board is Kulik, but in Banglapedia the names used are Kulik or Kokil. a closer look at the names has been taken by searching through literature, associated stories, histories or myths, or consulting local people. and this is what was found...

More than often, these names have a story to tell, as if rivers are not just a physical entity but rather carry cultural threads and interact with the people and communities they flow past.

sometimes they represent complex multi layered legends or myths rooted in history; sometimes, simple stories centred around a unique incident. sometimes the names describe the temperament of the river or where they come from. These are the tales that have been compiled in the river atlas.

Rivers have been the lifeline for generations gone

and will remain so for generations to come

aJM Zobaidur rahman

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TITLESof the maps show the names of

the rivers in each country or region, starting from the origin as it makes its way towards the sea, the names are used in the

same order.

MAPSof each river show the terrain

of the area and delineates the catchments.

geo-political boundaries have not been shown in the maps.

red points in each of the maps represent the point of crossing

of the border by the river. In many cases the river crosses

the border many times or represents the border, in these cases two red points, marking

the first and last point of entry, have been used.

How the Atlas is organised The three mighty rivers delineate the sections in the river atlas. Keeping the same order by which Indo-Bangladesh Joint rivers Commission (JrC) has catalogued the rivers, the rivers have been divided according to the basin they represent.Thus starting from the south west corner of Bangladesh the rivers in the ganga/ ganges basin come first, followed by the rivers joining the Brahmaputra and last of all rivers falling directly into the Meghna. each of the sections starts with a description of the basin before moving onto the rivers themselves.

THE STORY of each of the 54 rivers is told via maps, narratives, infographics, facts, figures and most importantly images of the life, livelihoods, cultures, issues and challenges, of people and communities living on the banks and of the rivers.

The map and narrative sketch the journey of the river, where does the river originate, which localities they flow and where they end.

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RIVER NUMBERSeach river has been issued a number to help readers navigate through the atlas. These numbers correspond to the river numbers used by the Indo-Bangladesh Joint rivers Commission and which has become the defacto list used by most.

PHOTOGRAPHSPhotographers captured the sights and sounds of the rivers and life around them from both sides of the border, specifically for this atlas. We have also collected photographs from our colleagues working in this region. These images enhance the content and visual appeal of the atlas.

INFOGRAPHICSexplain the origin, outfall (end) and length of river in each country.

Measurement of length of a river is quite complicated and different literature often quote varying numbers. This is because the source of the river is difficult to locate due to inaccessibility of the terrain. different researchers often accept the sources of different tributaries as the origin. Furthermore, rivers of the gBM region repeatedly change their courses and alter the geometry of meandering, often leading to changes in length. Many rivers form the boundary of the two countries. In these cases, the length along the boundary has been equally distributed.

IndIa Bangladesh TransBoundary rIver aTlas

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The Ganga/Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) regionThe combined outflow of these rivers is truly one of the most intriguing, vigorous and imposing fluvial systems of the world

vIrTually all of the 54 rivers flow into or are linked to the three major rivers - the ganga/ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna (gBM), and ultimately, all of them flow into the Bay of Bengal. The combined outflow of these rivers is truly one of the most intriguing, vigorous and imposing fluvial systems in the world; it is only exceeded by the Congo and the amazon and is greater than the combined flows of the 20 largest rivers in europe. yet, area wise, the gBM region represents a smaller but very complex watershed compared to the amazon and the Congo. The ganga/ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna region is spread across China, nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and sustains lives of over 620 million people of the region.

The ganga and Brahmaputra are born as neighbours, out of the glaciers and snowmelt from the great himalayan range the water towers of asia. From the himalaya, the ganga travels eastwards through the plains of India and Bangladesh, and the Brahmaputra also flows east as the yarlung Tsangpo but makes a sharp turn around Mount namcha Barwa and travels in a westerly direction through India to unite as the Padma in the floodplains of Bangladesh.

The Meghna rises as the Barak from the rain-drenched mountains of Manipur, India and divide into the surma and the Kushiyara just before entering Bangladesh through sylhet. later they combine to become the Meghna, which goes on to join the Padma near Chandpur and flow into the Bay of Bengal. The smaller rivers join these mighty rivers at various stages of their journey before falling into the Bay of Bengal. The entire fluvial system

home to over 620 million people, the basin contains the largest number of the worlds poor in any one region.

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Volume of dischargein billion cubic metres (bcm)

(averaged from different reports)

ganges-BrahMaPuTra-Meghna regIon

Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna

Length1 (km) 2510 2900 210

Catchment2 (km2) 10,87,300 5,52,000 82000

Ganges Basin500 bcm

Brahmaputra Basin700 bcm

Meghna Basin150 bcm

source: 1- average based on various reports; 2 - Joint rivers Commission figures.

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GanGa/GanGES-Brahmaputra-mEGhna rEGiOn IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

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ganges-BrahMaPuTra-Meghna regIon

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constitutes an interactive mountain-plain-sea system and plays a significant role in modulating the hydro-climatic conditions, biological processes and agro-economic activities in the region. scientists have shown how the position of the mountains and the flow of the rivers bring about monsoon rainfall in the south asia region in the summer, making it one of the wettest regions in the world.

The flows of these rivers are a complex interplay of rainfall, glacier, snowmelt and groundwater aquifers, and are defined by the pronounced seasonality of the monsoon rainfall and climate variability of the regions within the basins. each year, around June during the summer as the temperature across the region rises, the land, rivers, flora, fauna and people prepare in anticipation of the monsoon as it carries rainclouds and much awaited

rainfall from the Bay of Bengal. snow and glacier melt from the greater himalaya and monsoon rain feeds into the waterways and even the smallest of brooks swell up, becoming turbulent; and as it reaches the meandering watercourses becoming wider and slower often over spilling, blurring the line between river banks and flood plains. rivers also represent a continuum of change, from upstream to downstream, from season to season. during the dry season when the skies are blue and cloudless, the flows trickle down, many of the rivulets disappear, the force, volume of water and velocities of the streams and rivers decrease. These rivers do not carry just water to the sea. The ganga/ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna system carries a phenomenal load of 980 billion tonnes per year into the Bay of Bengal, eroding the himalayan region, to carve out valleys as they flow towards the flood plains. The gBM river system is considered to be one of the most heavily sediment-laden rivers of the world, exceeded only by the hwang ho of China. sediment transport in these rivers is of great concern in regards to maintaining the morphology of the rivers and development of the floodplains and delta. With 95% of its sediment load being delivered during only monsoon, the system is extremely sensitive to any changes in flows and sediment loads especially near the himalayan part of the basin. These variations would subsequently alter the present erosion/deposition scenarios especially at the existing bridge areas, river training works and also the intake points for irrigation schemes; affect navigation and drainage through bed-level changes; and decrease flows to distributaries due to sedimentation at off-takes.

yet, millions of tons of sediment carried by these magnificent rivers created the land in the Indo-gangetic floodplain and the Bengal delta for centuries making it fit for human habitation. sediment deposits still provide the alluvium to the floodplains and the delta. The Bengal delta is the largest and most fertile deltas of

IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

The position of the mountains and the flow of the rivers

bring about monsoon rainfall in the south asia region in the summer, making it the

wettest regions in the world.

Flow

/Mon

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Typical hydrograph for the rivers in this region

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Monsoon carries rainclouds and rainfall

from the Bay of Bengal

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the world and stretches from the Hooghly on the west to the Meghna on the east. The delta is also home to the Sundarban mangrove forest, a unique ecosystem spread across areas of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh.

The upstream areas of the basins are mostly forested and home to tigers and leopards, gaurs (wild ox), occasional elephants and buffalo, and many deer species; sambar and swamp deer and the great Indian rhinoceros. The rivers are home to a wide variety of fish and as many as five species of freshwater cetaceans, including the Ganges river Dolphin. Unfortunately, although this species still has a fairly extensive range, its distribution has contracted, and its numbers have declined dramatically in some areas.

History shows that the fertile lands of these rivers have nourished generations of people and shaped settlement patterns, agricultural practices and even culinary styles of the people living on its banks. The region is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and also predicted to have the highest population growth rate in South Asia. The communities living in the banks of the rivers are mostly rural and depend on agriculture but rapid urbanisation is already taking place, speeding up the pace of life in the region.

1. The Sundarban - largest mangrove forest in the

world is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger

2. Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is the ambassador fish

of the Bengali culture

3. The communities living in the banks of the

rivers are mostly rural and depend on agriculture

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PhysiograPhy of the gBM region InDIA BAnGlADeSH TRAnS-BoUnDARy RIveR ATlAS

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GAnGeS-BRAHMApUTRA-MeGHnA ReGIon

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The Ganga/Ganges BasinSpread across China, nepal, India, and Bangladesh, the Ganga/Ganges basin is not just a hydrological system but represents one of the most socio-culturally important and ecologically complex regions.

14 IndIa Bangladesh14 Transboundary Rivers

1 Raimangal2 Ichamati/Ichamati-Kalindi 3 Betna-Kodalia4 Bhairab5 Mathabhanga6 Ganga/Ganges7 pagla9 punarbhaba

10 Tulai/Tentulia11 Tangon12 Kulik13 nagar14 Mahananda15 Dahuk

SpReAD across China, nepal, India, and Bangladesh, the Ganga/Ganges basin is not just a hydrological system but represents one of the most socio-culturally important and ecologically complex regions of the sub continent. The basin is bounded on the north by the Himalaya, on the west by the Aravalli as well as the ridge separating it from the Indus Basin, on the south by the vindhyas and Chota nagpur plateau and on the east by the Brahmaputra ridge, Tista/Teesta fan and the Barind tract. The basin covers an area of around 1,087,300 sq.km stretching between 73 23e to 89 47e longitudes and 23 14n to 31 16n

on its epic journey to the estuary, the Ganga/Ganges traverses three physiographic regions - the Himalaya and associated ranges, a geologically young mountain belt, folded, faulted,

15

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and uplifted; the peninsula, a huge stable massif of ancient crystalline rock, and the Ganga/Ganges alluvial lowland. Throughout its upper basin, it is a fast-moving stream that gradually captures the waters of the companion streams that had left the mountains alongside it, braiding them all into one great river at its confluence with the yamuna at Allahabad. In its middle region, it absorbs the discharge from several other trans-boundary river-systems that drain the Central Himalaya to its north, and the edge of the sub-continental peninsula to its south, gradually becoming broader and more silt-laden at every point of advance. In the lower region, which it enters in a series of tortuous eddies and whirls once past the constriction imposed by Manihari rock and the Rajmahal hills, the river breaks free, straining in every direction to carry the water through a massive alluvial flood plain criss-crossed by a network of several rivers, their numerous tributaries and canals. The lower portion of the

basin is flat and low lying displaying a dynamic front between the saline waters of theBay of Bengal and the freshwater from the basin. The flows in this portion follow the diurnal and fortnightly pattern of the tides, taking up to 12 hours to penetrate inland. During monsoon, the freshwater boundary lies close to the coast, but as the rains die down after the monsoon and the flows decline, the saline front advances, penetrating further and further into the region during dry season.

Apart from the Ganga/Ganges itself, the rivers described in this section are essentially tributaries as well as distributaries of the main channel. The rivers, Mathabhanga, Bhairab-Kobadak, Ichamati-Kalindi, Betna-Kodalia and Raimangal originate from the south bank of the Ganges and drain the mighty river through an intricate network of tidal rivers, feeding into the Sundarban before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The rivers punarvaba, pagla, Tulai/ Tentulia, Tangon,

IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

In Hinduism , the river Ganges is considered

sacred and is personified as Goddess Ganga

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Kulik, nagar, Mahananda and Dauki rivers rise at the foothills of the Himalaya and flow southward into the Ganga/Ganges.

The river flow of the Ganga/Ganges and its tributaries vary on spatial scales and are very much dependant on climate variability of the region. Annual average rainfall in the basin is approximately 950 mm with variations from 240 mm to 2060 mm. The north-eastern part of the basin, especially nepal, Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal and Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna districts of Bangladesh experience the most rainfall while the western part, especially Rajasthan and parts of Madhya pradesh of India are the driest, with monsoon often limited to two months. The Himalayan regions also experience heavy snowfall.

The Ganga/Ganges basin is home to a rich biodiversity of fish and bird species. Reports show, there are over 140 fish species, the richest freshwater fauna in India, 90 amphibian species and five avian regions with birds found nowhere else in the world. Fish species in the Bengal area include feather backs (notopteridae family), walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) and milk fish (Chanos chanos). The upstream forested areas of the basin are home to tigers and leopards, gaurs (wild ox), occasional elephants and buffalo, and many deer species, like the sambar (a large Asiatic deer with coarse hair on the throat and strong antlers), and swamp deer. The great Indian rhinoceros is also found in south-central nepal. The Bengal Tiger, listed by IUCn as an endangered species, now only survives in the Sundarban area of the Ganges Delta. The unique Sundarban delta mangroves also supports over 334 species of plants, 448 types of wildlife including 58 reptiles, 339 birds and 41 mammals, 315 bird, 176 types of fish and 31 crustacean species. The Gangetic dolphin, and in various pockets in nepal, India and Bangladesh the gharial, a rare fish eating crocodile can be seen in the waters of the Ganga/Ganges.

The fertile terrain has nurtured the rise and expansion of many empires and kingdoms throughout centuries. Some of the greatest empires of this sub continent, the Gupta, Kanauj, Magadha, Maurya, Mughal and British empires were spread across the modern international borders but had their centers in the Gangetic plains. over the ages, the river and its tributaries have been celebrated through numerous legends, stories, music, drama, folklore and tradition. The capitals of India (new Delhi) and nepal (Kathmandu), besides numerous major cities such as Agra, Allahabad, Benaras, patna, Kolkata and Rajshahi, Kushtia, Jessore and Khulna sit on the banks of the Ganga/Ganges and its tributaries. Although it has lost much of its former glory, with approximately 344 million people it is still one of the most densely populated areas of the world. Despite the religious significance and cultural importance of the Ganga/Ganges, it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. pollution of the Ganga/Ganges is caused by human, agricultural and industrial waste due to rapid growth and unplanned urbanisation. The region, however, has considerable development potential which can only be achieved through harnessing of the Ganga/Ganges to foster sustainable regional progress and improve the quality of life of the people of the basin.

Boats moored along the ghats on the banks of the Ganga

some of the greatest empires of this subcontinent, the gupta, Kanauj, Magadha, Maurya, Mughal and British empires were spread across modern international borders and had their centers in the gangetic plains.

The ganga/ganges BasIn

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1 raiMangaL IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

19

raIMangal is a unique trans-boundary river that flows into the tidal estuary of the Sundarban mangrove forest spread across India and Bangladesh. The brackish waters of the Raimangal with pronounced levels of salinity during the dry season, is vital to this complex mangrove ecosystem. The river rises from the south of Hasnabad in the north 24 parganas district of West Bengal where the Ichhamati joins the Raimangal, running along the India-Bangladesh riverine boundary. In a way, the Raimangal begins where the Ichamati ends.

The Ichhamati branches out into several distributaries below the Hingalganj town which later, fan out into the wide estuaries in the Sundarban. The chief among these distributries are: the Raimangal, Bidya, Jhilla and Kalindi. For some distance, the Raimangal forms the international boundary between the two countries, before it enters Bangaldesh, flowing towards southeast, and then drains into the Bay of Bengal. one distributary of the Raimangal, the Horinbhanga, also runs parallel to its west and also outfalls into the Bay of Bengal.

The Raimangal derives its name from folklore and subaltern culture of the Sundarban, the largest mangrove forest in the world and one of the last surviving habitats of the Royal Bengal Tiger, where people revere the spirits of tigers and snakes as their guardian deities. The saying goes that there is a Tiger spirit in the name of Dokkin Rai, which rules over the deep mangrove forest, while the Snake Goddess, Manasha lords over the swamps, the abode of venomous snakes and reptiles. Thus the river that flows through the domain of the snake and tiger spirits across the Sundarban, gets its combined name as Raimangal. However, another story claims that the river may have been named after a great literary text, Ray Mangal (1686), composed by a famous seventeenth century Bengali poet Krishnaram Das.

Till 1700, the Sundarban was a pristine forest and populated by rich wildlife. Human settlement began since the early nineteenth century when the east India Company allotted lands in the Sundarban to the Indian zaminders, and who on their part brought the Santhals, mostly from the Chhotanagpur region as bonded labourers to clear the jungles for logging. Many died in the inhospitable conditions or killed by tigers, reptiles and poisonous snake bites. over the centuries, their population increased by manifolds on both sides of the border. Today many of them live on the same lands of the swamps and mangrove as wood cutters, fishers, crab and shell collectors.

of late, cargo services between India and Bangladesh have been launched on the Raimangal river, being the shortest route that connects sea ports of the two countries. Raimangal experiences tidal wave twice a day and strong currents during the monsoon.

raIMangal 1

The banks of the Raimangal are very prone to natural hazards and disasters. People who live along the river have a strong belief in the guardian deities. Bonbibi is the Goddess of the Sundarban forest. They believe Bonbibi provides protection from tiger attacks. Legend says, Dakkhin Rai, an arch enemy of Bonbibi, appears in the guise of a tiger and attacks humans. The Gangetic dolphins or shushuk which roam the waters of the Raimangal and the many rivers that feed into the Sundarban, are revered to be the messengers of Bonbibi, protecting the people, especially during natural disasters.

offtake

Ichamati-Kalindi

Mangrove forests

Sundarban

estuary

Forms the

international border

in some stretches

outfall

Bay of Bengal

15 km

62 km

Tidal effect

Total length

77 km

Shrimp fri collection in the Sundaban.

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2 iChaMati/iChaMati-KaLinDi IndIa Bangladesh Trans-Boundary rIver aTlas

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IchamatI flows out of the Mathabhanga in Nadia district of West Bengal and immediately crosses the border into Bangladesh at Damurhuda upazila of Chuadhanga district. It again enters India through the tri-junction of Chuadanga district of Bangaldesh, and the districts of Nadia and North 24-Paraganas in India. From there, the Ichhamati traverses the areas of Bongaon, Swarupnagar, Baduria and Hasnabad in a meandering course towards the southeast across the North 24-Paraganas district.

On its course, the Ichhamati makes several entries and re-entries into Indian and Bangladeshi territories, and at some stretches, forms the international boundary between the two countries, especially on its downstream section from Hasnabad in the North 24-Paraganas district of India to Shyamnagar in Satkhira district of Bangladesh.

Though the Ichhamati touches several districts of Bangladesh, such as Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Jessore and Satkhira, most part of its journey runs through the Indian territories. While in Bangladesh, the Ichhamati is joined by a number of rivers like Neodanga, Hanarsonai, Saratkhal and Dantbhanga. In Kaliganj upazila of Satkhira district, the Ichhamati is joined by a small tributary, Kalindi, and, thus, is known as Ichhamati-Kalindi. The river finally, outfalls into the Raimangal, heading towards the Bay of Bengal. Being close to the estuary, Ichhamati experiences tidal currents.

The Ichhamati is deeply embedded in the socio-cultural history and literature of Bengal. The estate of Raja Pratapaditya, one of the famous Baro Bhuyians (12 local kings) during the Mughal rule, was located beside the river. In literature too, Ichhamati has been immortalized by two of Bengals most iconic litterateurs, Rabindranath Tagore and Bibhutibhusan Bandhyopadyay, in their writings. Bibhutibhusan, who had a house on the bank of Ichhamati at Bongaon, profusely used its name in his famous novel, Pather Panchali, while Rabindranath Tagore had more intimate experience with the river. Tagore, who had frequently availed the waterways of Ichhamati on his way to Silaidaha in connection with his zamindari supervision works, composed numerous letters, poems and songs during the journey. In one of his poems, he even wished to be like the river Ichhamati!

Certain stretches of Ichhamati-Kalindi, especially, at its confluence with the Jamuna at Jogini Ghat, which is considered sacred, thousands of people take holy dips during the auspicious full moon months of October and November. Not to be confused with its famous and much larger namesake, this Jamuna is a small tributary which flows into the Ichhamati-Kalindi in West Bengal. The western and eastern banks of this river are home to the communities of the two countries, India and Bangladesh. The fisher folks from both the countries navigate the waters together, flying their respective national flags [mandatory in shared rivers] on their boats, making it a spectacular show.

Ichamati was immortalized by Rabindranath Tagore and Bibhutibhusan Bandhyopadyay

Offtake

DINAJPUR

Forms the

international border

in some stretches

NORTH 24-PARAGANAS

Outfall

Raimangal River

Mathabhanga River

CHAUADANGA

135 km

JESSORE

210 km

SATKHIRA

Tidal Currents

total length

345 km

IchamatI / IchamatI-KaLINDI 2

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3 BETNA-KodAliA INDIa BaNgLaDesh traNs-BOuNDary rIver atLas

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BetNa is one of the distributaries of the Bhairab, and emerges from the Jheinaidah district in southwest Bangladesh. It enters India through Bagdah of the North 24-Paraganas district, and after a short distance crosses over again to Bangladesh through Sharsha upazila of Jessore district.

Once in Bangladesh, the Betna meanders in a south-western direction across the districts of Jessore and Satkhira, touching in between, the towns of Kolaroa, Tala and Ashashuni till it reaches Uttarpara, where the Betna assumes the name of Moricchap and outfalls into the Khalpetua river in Satkhira district. Its only distributary, the Kodalia, flows out of Betna and heads towards south-western direction. It then slips into India through Haridaspur village of the Nadia district and meets with the Ichhamati.

Earlier, the name of Betna was Begaboti (the fast-moving one). The flow of the river was so strong and overflowing that it used to destroy crops and properties of the local people and bear upon them untold sufferings. This is why it was known as Betraboti (one who inflicts pain) and later Betna, which is short for Betraboti.

In recent times, water flows of the Betna have been severely affected by mindless human intervention. Large ponds have been created on several stretches of the river by erecting earthen dams, leased out to private individuals for fish farming. Many such water-logged sites on the river near Bagdah in the North 24-Parganas district have been claimed as private property.

Several multi-purpose water management plans, such as, Arol Beel Project, Kolaroa Drainage Project and Uloshi irrigation project, have been implemented along the catchment areas in Bangaldesh. A historic mausoleum, Maichampar Dorgah is located on the bank of the river at Labsa village in Satkhira town. The river is perennial and experiences seasonal flooding. Betna is a tidal-influenced coastal river, though the tidal flooding situation varies from upstream to downstream as tidal influence is hardly observed in the upstream of the river in India.

Offtake

Bhairab River

NORTH 24 PARGANAS

Outfall

Morichhap River

Bhairab river

Jhenaidah

19 km

114 km

total length

133 km

The water flows of the Betna have been severely affected due to mindless human intervention.

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4 BHAiRAB INDIa BaNgLaDesh traNs-BOuNDary rIver atLas

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there is a misconception about the Bhairab, a distributary of the Ganga, originating at Akheriganj of Murshidabad district in West Bengal and ultimately discharging into Jalangi, is known as Bhairab. But this is not the trans-boundary river identified by the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission.

The Bhairab, the branch of the Mathabhanga originating at Meherpur, is the trans-boundary river that needs to be focused on. We need to emphasise that the Jalangi-Bhairab and the Bhairab flowing from the Mathabhanga are not connected in any way. Because of lateral oscillation this river has often migrated beyond the border making it a trans-boundary river. Right after originating, the river acts as the boundary between the two countries at Nadia district of West Bengal and Meherpur district of Bangladesh for almost 2 km and, thereafter, it meanders southeast through Bangladesh in Jhenidah and Jessore districts and at Khulna branches out into two flows, Rupsha and Bhairab. Bhairab continues its south-easterly journey and falls into Daratana river. The Rupsha travels southwards through Khulna city and further downstream, changes its name to Pashur near the Mongla port, and finally drains into the Bay of Bengal.

The existence of Bhairab meaning, the ominous one goes back to antiquity, and it is featured in the sacred Hindu texts of Kalikapurana and Bampuran. Bhairab also means terrible or frightful. The names give testimony that the river once was huge and dynamic when it was directly connected to the Ganga. Bhairab also means Grievous God with the name originating from the grievous appearance of Hindu deity Shiv. According to a Hindu tale, the river originated with Shivs blood when Ondhokasur, a demon, trampled his head during a fight.

During the Muslim rule in Bengal, an army general with deep religious outlook, Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali, often used to travel by this river. He mobilized his army and carried all construction materials from Rajmahal in Bihar on boats to build Khalifatbad town and 60-dome mosque in Bagerhat. The Mughals also followed the same river on various expeditions to east Bengal. In the course of time, many cities and ports were established on its banks. Archaeological materials contemporary to the emperor Ashoka were found at Barobazar archaeological sites in Jessore. Famous Chinese pilgrim and traveller Hiuen Tsang came at Murali in Jessore at seventh century, presumably through the waterways of the Bhairab. Way back in 1794, the British indigo planters had set up their first indigo factory at Rupdia of Sadar upazila in Jessore.

Once lively, the Bhairab has now lost all its vitality. Many points of the river between Sholmari in Meherpur and the confluence with Mathabhanga, has been turned into paddy fields. The Bhairab is perennial and has tidal influence. Noapara is one of its major river ports, while Mongla is a major sea port in Bangladesh.

JaLaNgI / BhaIraB 4

Offtake

NADIA

Outfall

Dartana River

MathabhangaRiver2 km

MEHERPUR

JHENIDAH

293 km

total length

295 km

The dying Bhairab of today was once used by the Mughals for various expeditions to east Bengal.

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5 MATHABHANGA INDIa BaNgLaDesh traNs-BOuNDary rIver atLas

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mathaBhaNga, literally means, the broken head or the head that is broken. There are several stories among various communities which share this river. One story holds that the river at its source (the head as the starting point) always erodes. So, they named the river Mathabhanga (the eroded head). Another story narrates that the river ruined lives of many people by swallowing their homestead, wealth and everything, as if it smashed their heads, and thus, the name, Mathabhanga. There is another story of the naming of the river which says that the river is named Mathabhanga when it lost its connection with its headwater, the Padma.

The Mathabhanga is one of the distributaries of the Ganga that originates in the southeast of Jalangi, a town in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Due to lateral oscillation of the Ganga and its recent northwards shift of the main flow, the Mathabhanga is virtually disconnected from its feeder, except during the peak of monsoon. On its meandering journey in a southern direction, the Mathabhanga forms the international boundary between India and Bangladesh, and then crosses over to Bangladesh through Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia district. Keeping its southern run, the river branches out in two opposite directions: its one arm flows towards the east in the name of Kumar or Pangasi, while the other branch turns towards the west retaining its original name and takes a circuitous journey across Chuadanga district till it crosses over to India.

The Mathabhanga re-enters India through Gede in the Nadia district of West Bengal, where it gets bifurcated with two different identities. One branch runs towards the west and assumes the name of Churni, connecting important towns of Hanskhali, Ranaghat and Chakdaha, and finally discharges into Hugli. The other arm runs towards the south in the name of Ichamati and crosses over to Bangladesh via the North 24-Paraganas district. Major distributaries of the Mathabhanga include the Kumar, the Chitra, the Nabaganga, the Kapotaksho and the Bhairab rivers.

People living along the banks of the river call the river Houlia or Hauli. There is a saying that the river becomes familiar as Habeli or Hauli as many Habeli (local pronunciation of Haweli or big house/kuthi bari of indigo planter) markets or indigo haats were established on the river banks.

Mathabhanga literally means the broken head

Upstream of the river is navigable for country

boats for most parts of the year, the down-

stream has become unfit for inland transport.

Of course, people at the lower region use its

water for irrigation, fishing and other house-

hold purposes. In recent years, complaints

have been reported of massive siltation and

growing pollution due to toxic discharge

from sugarcane industries in Bangladesh, as

the river re-enters India through the Nadia

district of West Bengal.

mathaBhaNga 5

Offtake

Murshidabad

Outfall

Ichamati-Kalindi and

Churni

Ganga River

40 km

Kushtia

144 km

total length

184 km

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6 GANGA / GANGES INDIa BANGLADESH TRANS-BOUNDARy RIvER ATLAS

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gaNga / gaNges 6

Offtake

Himalaya

uttaraKhaND

uttar PraDesh

Indo-Gangetic

Floodplains

BIhar

West BeNgaL

Outfall

Padma River

Gangotri Glacier

New Delhi

2150 km

Meandering

Chapai Nawabganj

360 km

Rajshahi

total length

2510 km

INDIas most revered river, the Ganga, is essentially composed of two major tributaries the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda, both of which rise from the Garhwal Himalaya close to the India-Tibet border. While the Bhagirathi emerges from the Gangotri glacier, the Alakananda appears to its east and both meet at Devprayag from where it is known as the Ganga for the entire course of its journey.

Another major tributary, the yamuna, arising from the yumanotri glaciers also flows parallel to each other for over a thousand kilometres, connecting the national capital of New Delhi, Mathura and Agra until it joins the Ganga and the mythical river Saraswati at Allahabad the great sangam (confluence), the site of one of worlds largest human congregations during Kumbh Mela that is observed once in every 12 years. The Hindus

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INDIA BANGLADESH TRANS-BOUNDARy RIvER ATLAS

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The Legend of the GangesIn Hinduism, the Ganga is considered the most sacred of rivers, loved as mother and worshipped as Goddess Ganga.

King Sagara of Ayyoddha was performing the ritual Ashwamedha yagya to make him the ruler of the world. But the horse dedicated for this ritual got stolen. As ordered, his 60 sons set off to find the horse. During their quest, they disturbed the meditating great sage Kapila Muni, who in a fit of anger turned them into ashes. Grief stricken Sagara prayed to Lord Shiva for restoring the departed souls to heaven, or else their spirits, without final rites, will remain in a restless state on earth. That could happen if the ashes were purified by the waters of Ganga.

Meanwhile, Sagara died and his descendent became the the king. He performed extreme austerity rites for a thousand years to appease Ganga. Impressed by the ascetic kings dedication, Ganga agreed to come down to earth and purify the ashes. Lord Shiva was concerned about the havoc Gangas mighty force might cause while descending on earth. When Mother Ganga fell on earth, Lord Shivas head received her torrential flow, from where she made her way through the tangled locks in seven distinct streams. The streams followed the chariot of King Bhagirata to reach the place where the ashes of the kings great grandfathers awaited their journey to heavens.

Up to this day, sinners and worthy people alike, pay homage to Gangas waters, and many come from far and wide, to immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the holy waters of Ganga.

Sacred locations of Kumb Mela

Once, while the gods and the demons were having an altercation on sharing of amrit- the elixir for life- Garuda, Lord vishnus celestial mount, swooped down and before anybody could see or say, made off with the vessel containing the elixir. A few drops of the amrit fell on four places along the river Ganga, and Kumb Mela is held at any one of the four places considered astrologically, auspicious.

Photo taken from Kantajew Temple, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

31

Rivers play a significant role in cultural, spiritual

and recreational aspects of peoples lives

Historically, the Ganga has been the most harnessed river in India, especially for irrigation that has drastically affected its natural water flow

believe that a dip at the Sangam during the auspicious moment of Kumbh mela cleanses generations of sins. These confluences (prayags in Sanskrit) are the major sites of Hindu pilgrimage that attracts millions of devotees as well as tourists from across the world.

Most of the course of the Ganga runs across the Gangetic plain, a flat and fertile land lying between the snow-clad Himalaya and the plateaus and hills of central India. The Ganga leaves its mountain journey after the holy towns Rishikesh and Haridwar, and it enters the Gangetic plain and passes by the densely populated cities of Aligarh, Kanpur, Allahabad and Vanaras or Varanasi in Uttar pradesh. Varanasi, regarded as holy city by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and in India.

As it runs further east on its mid-course, the Ganga accumulates waters both from its northern and southern tributaries. Except for Ramganga, Deoka and Gomati, which rise in the Himalayan mountains in Uttaranchal, most of the northern tributaries originate in Nepal such as, Karnali (which meets with Mahakali/Sarada and becomes Ghagra in India), the Gandaki (which together with the eastern river Rapti becomes Gandak in India) and Kosi all converge in Bihar. Through these tributaries the Ganga receives most of its flows from the slopes of the Himalaya.

The most important southern tributary is the Yamuna, which gathers waters of rain-fed, non-Himalayan tributaries Ken, Betwa, Tons and Son emerging from the Vindhyas range in Madhyapradesh. The Ganga moves further southeast till it meets up with the Mahananda, before entering West Bengal, and, thereafter, crosses over the international border with Bangladesh.

A few kilometres before entering Bangladesh, the Bhagirati, a distributary of the Ganga heads south towards Kolkata, the state capital of West Bengal, where it assumes the name of Hugli after being joined by the Damodar and the Rupnarayan.

The main channel continues to flow southeast and enters Bangladesh through Sibganj upazila of the Chapainawabganj district, while continuing its course as the Ganges, till it joins the Jamuna at Goalando. From this confluence the Ganges changes its name to Padma and travels further down to join the Upper Meghna near Chandpur, where all waters of the three big river systems surge into a colossal waterways, known as the Lower Meghna and eventually discharges into the Bay of Bengal. In Bangladesh, several distributaries of the Ganges such as, the Gorai, the Kumar, the Mathabanga among others feed the Sundarban, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world.

Historically, the Ganga has been the most harnessed river in India, especially for irrigation that has drastically affected its natural water flow, volume as well as the accompanying sediment dispersal process, as large irrigation channels and flood control structures were built. Reference to canals has been described in scriptures and mythological books written more than 2,000 years ago. The use of irrigation in India was recorded by Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador, in the 4th century BC. During the Muslim rule from the 12th century, irrigation network multiplied with the Mughal Kings constructing several large canals across the alluvial plains. Several dams have been built, including Hardwar dam that was built in 1854, which, many believe drastically changed the course and character of the Ganga. It is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

Despite all that, the Ganga, apart from providing livelihoods for millions of farmers and fisher folks in the Gangetic plains, both in India and Bangladesh, plays a significant role in cultural, spiritual and recreational aspects of peoples lives. The mystical Ganga has always attracted people to its banks not only just farmers and fisher folks, but also saints, poets, painters; musicians and adventure sports people such as rafters and anglers.

GANGA/GANGES 6Ek

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7 PAGLA INdIA BANGlAdESH TrANS-BouNdAry rIvEr ATlAS

33

PAGlA emerges from south west of Malda district as one of the channels of the Ganga near a place called, Panchanandapur, 22 km upstream of Farakka, runs southeastwards and is joined by another branch of the Ganga, named Chotto Bhagirathi near Mehedipur border. The combined river then crosses over to Bangladesh through Sibganj Upazila of Chapainawabganj district. On its southern course, Pagla passes by the historic Sonamasjid at Sibganj, connecting important towns of Shahbazpur, Mobarakpur and Kanshatbazar, and then eventually, outfalls into the Ganges.

Pagla is a perennial river but highly restive, with its changing features, and is probably why the river acquired a sobriquet Pagla meaning a crazy one in Bangla. For years, local people claim that they have observed its frequently changing behaviour especially during the monsoon months: at times, one observes its very fast-flowing waters, spilling over the banks, but a while later, the river appears calm with its water falling down abruptly much below its bank lines.

In summer, paddy is cultivated on both sides of the river, while fisher folks remain engaged in fishing throughout the year, despite the declining freshwater fish population and its diversity due to increasing pollution and changing water regime of the river. For example, earlier the stream of the Moraganga used to reinforce the water flow of the Pagla, which got disrupted after construction of an irrigation structure at the confluence of the two rivers.

Chapainawabganj is also famous for its mango production. Large tracts of mango groves are seen along the river banks of Pagla, and people always use its waters to irrigate their mango plantations. Earlier, village elders say, Chapainawabganj used be a thriving commercial center, where traders came up along the Ganga for mango cargo. It still continues to be an important commercial town, even as production of mango has declined over the years.

The Ganges, which serves as the southeastern boundary of the district of Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh, nourished its agrarian population and provided infrastructure support to help develop the regional economy.

PAGlA 7

Bhashail - a traditional fishing gear, has become a rare sight in Bangladesh

offtake

Ganga

MALDA

Paddy

outfall

Ganges

47 km

CHAPAINAWABGANJ

Mango Orchards

36 km

Total length

83 km

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9 PUNARBHABA INdIA BANGlAdESH TrANS-BouNdAry rIvEr ATlAS

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PuNArBHABA, said to be an ancient river that features in the Puranas (Hindu sacred texts), is now shared by Bangladesh and India. Originating from the marshylands in Birganj upazila of the Dinajpur district in Bangladesh, Punarbhaba meaning in Sanskrit is born again or simply, appear again trickles out as a tiny stream through places like Dalua, Kaharole and Birol, before it crosses the international border.

Kaharole Bazaar, the biggest wholesale trading centre of Dinajpur district, has grown over the years along the river. The market is famous for wholesale trading in rice and jute that draws traders from within the country, and even across the border. River vessels including big sailing boats and engine boats used to ply in the river, as it had abundant water for navigation throughout the year. Now, with decline in water flow during of the year, the river communication network has deteriorated over the years. Inland water ways are used locally only during the monsoon months.

Excessive extraction of underground water by powered deep tube well for enhancement of irrigation facilities has also contributed to the fall of water level in the river as well as the ground water table. Elderly people living around the immediate stretches of the river say the area used to be covered in deep forest and served as the natural habitats for wildlife. The river then used to be named as Pumva.

From Dinajpur, as the Punarbhaba heads south towards India, it is joined by its two tributaries- Dhepa and Narto. People talk of some unexplained phenomenon in the connection between the Punarbhaba and its tributary the Dhepa, which meets the former at Bangi Bechar Ghat, close to the border with India. They claim when water rises in the Punarbhaba, the flow in its tributary, Dhepa, drastically comes down, and the via-a-versa, that is, when the Dhepa gains water, its level in the main river, Punarbhaba, falls below its normal flow. This phenomenon, claimed by the local people, needs to be verified through a scientific study.

The Punarbhaba enters through Gangarampur town of Dakshin Dinajpur district in India and flows south across the district to reach the adjoining Indian town of Malda, where it forms the international border at a few stretches while veering for a small distance into the territories of both the countries. The Punarbhaba finally enters Bangladesh and outfalls into the Mahananda river in Chapainawabganj district.

PuNArBHABA 9

Fishing at river Punarbhaba

offtake

Marshy Lowland

Forms the

international border

in some stretches

Gangarampur

DAKSHIN DINAJPUR

outfall

Mahananda

DINAJPUR

61 km

Kaharole Bazaar

Wholesale Trading

in Rice and Jute

Excessive

groundwater

extraction

156 km

55 km

Total length

217 km

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10 TULAI / TENTULIA INdIA BANGlAdESH TrANS-BouNdAry rIvEr ATlAS

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IS it Tentulia or Tulai? Opinion differs about its name and its appearance. One view describes the river as Rakshshini (the fierce one) Tentulia, while the other finds it as rather a small quiet-flowing river the Tulai. However, there seems to be no doubt about its source and location, that is, the swampy lands of Bochaogaon-Atgaon areas of Dinajpur district in Bangladesh.

It appears as a trickle and flows through Atgaon-Mollapara upazila of the district, and takes the shape of a small river when it reaches the Biral upazila close to the international border. Soon after that the Tulai slips into the Indian territory through Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. It later joins the Tangon, which runs to its west and outfalls into the Mahananda.

Like many other rivers in the alluvial plains, the Tulai is vital for the farming and fishing communities, which solely depend on its waters and its uninterrupted supply. However, the water level of the Tulai is decreasing by years. This is now worsened due to diversion of river water as well as indiscriminate extraction of ground water for irrigation of farmlands on both sides of the river banks.

Tulai /Tentulia is the northernmost river in Bangladesh. It is a seasonal river, and has a meandering course. Earlier, it was prone to floods several times in a year, but now the intensity of floods has reduced to a large extent. During the dry season, rice is cultivated in the bed of the river by local people living along its banks.

Historically, the river has been a mute witness to rise and fall of many ancient towns and human settlements on its banks. Several archaeological sites and artefacts have been discovered along the river believed to be of the Pal dynasty.

TulAI / TENTulIA 10

During dry season, the Tentulia becomes almost beheaded, rice is cultivated at its river bed by local people

living along the banks.

A village boy trying to climb up a

coconut tree

offtake

Swampy Lowland

Uttar Dinajpur

outfall

Tangon River

Dinajpur

45 km

Seasonal

20 km

Total length

65 km

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11 TANGON INdIA BANGlAdESH TrANS-BouNdAry rIvEr ATlAS

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TANGoN rises around the Hatiaganj-Bahati areas of the Uttar Dinajpur district in India, close to the international border. Soon after its initial run in India, it slips into the territories of Bangladesh as a tiny stream through the Garinabari union of Panchagarh Sadar upazila.

While in Bangladesh where it spends most part of its journey, taking a southwestern direction, Tangon emerges as one of the prominent rivers, which contributed to the well being and local economy of the northwestern region. At least three major district towns of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur have grown along the banks of the Tangon. It travels through important towns and trading centers Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Autowari, Pirganj, Ruhia, Bochaganj and Biral before Tangon re-enters India through Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal.

After re-entering India, the Tangon continues its southern journey through the districts of Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda, and later, outfalls into the Mahananda, which subsequently joins Punarbhaba that runs to its east along the India-Bangladesh border, after crossing over again to Bangladesh through Naogaon district.

There are folk narratives about the changing name and history of Tangon. People living in the upstream of Tangon basin claim that originally, the river was known as Tangali. This can be corroborated by the Tangali Bridge built the Panchagarh district many years ago. However, after the bridge was reconstructed with raised height, the name of the bridge was changed from Tangali to Tangon.

Interestingly, the Tangon is called Senua and Shukh by the people residing around the Tangon barrage, located at the inter-district boundary of the Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts. The Tangon appears wider, and even said to be deeper, in its stretch in Thakurgaon district.

At several stretches on the Tangon, certain areas such as, Ataiyer ghat-Mochlondapur in Thakurgaon, and Burabondor-Dhuhusho areas of Moranodi (dead river) in Panchagarh, have been declared as fish sanctuaries.. These sanctuaries are run by fishermen co-operatives in the respective districts for restoring the fish stocks and to support the livelihood of the riverine communities as well as help conservation of freshwater fish diversity.

The original Tangon is now known as Moranodi as the course has changed its direction, following the construction of an irrigation barrage.

TANGoN 11

After retting of jute for one week or more jute fibres are taken out by people from the retted plant body and

washed thoroughly in the river systems.

offtake

UTTAR DINAJPUR

Lowland

Fish Sanctuaries

DAKSHIN DINAJPUR

WEST BENGAl

MALDA

outfall

Mahananda River

PANCHAGARH

Tangon Barrage

THAKURGAON

123 km

DINAJPUR

130 km

Total length

253 km

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12 KULIK INdIA BANGlAdESH TrANS-BouNdAry rIvEr ATlAS

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KULIK / KOKIL 12

A rAther small and narrow stream, Kulik emerges from a wetland, locally known as Morar Beel, meaning, a water body of the dead in Raipur area of Baliadangi upazila in the Thakurgaon district of Bangladesh. From its source, the Kulik, also called, Kuluk or even Kulik-Kokil by local elders, meanders south through the towns and urban settlements of Sadar, Ranishangkoil and Haripur in the same district.

From Haripur upazila, the Kulik serves as the India-Bangladesh border for a short distance before its crosses over to India. The river retains the same name as it enters through the southern part of Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal and winds its way down southwest across the bustling city of Raiganj to join the Nagar flowing to its west. After travelling around 2 km, the united stream outfalls into the Mahananda, south of Raiganj at the tri-junction of the Katihar district of Bihar, and the North Dinajpur and Malda districts of West Bengal.

Local people say, Kulik was once a perennial river; it was a part of a well-developed inland water transport network. Country boats of various sizes and types used to operate on the river all round the year, providing the necessary infrastructure for movement of goods and people. The remains of famous Tankanath zamindar bari on the banks of the Kulik suggests its past importance in the life and economy of the region.

Now, like many other rivers, the Kulik has lost its original water flow and depth, and remains dry for the most part of the year, only to be energized during the monsoon months. This changes the hydrological character of the river- especially the loss of navigability due to sedimentation and rise of the river bed. Local farmers, living along the river, are now using the river bed for paddy cultivation, and raising mud structures to protect their crops. In a way, this is also accelerating the process of degradation of the river.

The shift of focus from rivers - as a secure mode of travel and transport, due to its uncertainty, lack of safety and fast mobility to land transport network, has further contributed to its neglect.

However, despite all this, thousands of farming families and fisher people sustain their lives on a daily basis from the resources of the river. Local people say there is plenty of fish of native varieties, and with community-based conservation initiative along the river, fishing can be a sustainable source of livelihood and income.

The Kulik is locally known as Morar Beel meaning a water body of the dead.

Offtake

Wetland

WeSt BeNGAL

Outfall

Tangon River

BIHAR

Moral Beel

THAKURGAON

62 km

Loss of

original flow

66 km

total length

128 km

Remains of the famous Tankanath

Zamindar bari (landlords home)

on the bank of the Kulik

Md. Maksudur Rahman

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13 NAGAR INdIA BANGLAdeSh trANS-BOUNdAry rIver AtLAS

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WheN British geographer Major Rennel drew his river atlas of Bengal in 1776, he identified Nagar as one of the tributaries of Karatoya, flowing to its east. However, the Nagar seems to have abandoned its original course following the devastating floods of 1787 that changed courses of all the major rivers emerging from the Himalaya.

Now the Nagar is seen as a new born river which rises from the north-eastern region of the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, close to the international border with Bangladesh. From its source, it straight way crosses over to Bangladesh through its north-eastern district of Panchagarh, and after a few kilometres, it re-enters India and takes a south-western journey, forming the international boundary between the entire eastern stretch of North Dinajpur district of India and Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts of Bangladesh.

While flowing through Panchagarh district of Bangladesh, the Nagar is joined by another small stream Nagori, which also emerges from the Indian side, near the vicinity of the border. There are enduring folk stories woven around the two charming lovers Nagar and Nagori as the united river Nagar, (the enchanted lover) traverses the alluvial plains between Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts of north-western Bangladesh, before it crosses over again into India through Moshaga-Baganbari areas of North Dinajpur.

Thereafter, the Nagar continues to flow maintaining its southern course and serving as the interstate boundary between