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Introduction
Source of Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River in plains
Dams on Brahmaputra River
History
Brahmaputra River in Hindu religion
Economy
Ecology
Tributaries of Brahmaputra River
Environment Protection
Brahmaputra cruises
Google map Brahmaputra River
Introduction
The Brahmaputra ( ब्रम्हपुत्र) river is one of the major rivers of Asia is a trans-boundary
river. The Brahmaputra river is about 2900 km long originate from western Tibet as
as the Yarlung Tsangpo River. This river flows through three countries – born in Tibet, flowing
through India and then on to Bangladesh. It has many names - Tsangpo in
Tibet, Lohit or Brahmaputra in India and Jamuna (not Yamuna of India) in Bangladesh.
The waters of the River Brahmaputra are shared by China, India, and Bangladesh.
While most Indian and Bangladeshi rivers bear female names, this river has a rare male name, as it means "son of Brahma" in
Sanskrit. The Brahmaputra is navigable for most of its length. The river is prone to catastrophic flooding in spring when the Himalayan snows melt. It is
also one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. In Bangladesh the river merges with the Ganga and splits into two
the Hugli and Padma River. When Brahmaputra river merges with the Ganges and Meghna rivers
it form the largest river delta in the world (60,000km2).
Source of Brahmaputra River
The Yarlung Tsangpo River (name of Brahmaputra river
in Tibet), originates in the "Jima Yangzong" glacier near Mount Kailash
in the northern Himalayas. It then flows east for about 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi), at an average height of 4,000 metres
(13,000 ft), the highest of the major rivers in the world. In Tibet, the Tsangpo follows the suture line between the Eurasian Plate
and the Indian Plate . At its easternmost point, it bends around Mount Namcha Barwa
and forms the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.
The Yarlung Tsangpo River (name of Brahmaputra river
in Tibet), originates in the "Jima Yangzong" glacier near Mount Kailash
in the northern Himalayas.
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Brahmaputra River in plains
The Brahmaputra enters India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh
from Tibet, where it is called "Siang". After a rapid descent from its original height in Tibet it finally appears in
the plains, where it is called "Dihang". It flows for about
35 kilometres and is joined by the Dibang River and the Lohit River at the head of the Assam Valley. Below the
Lohit the river is called Brahmaputra, enters the state of Assam and becomes as wide as 10 kilometres in parts of Assam. It is joined in Sonitpur by
the Kameng River (or Jia Bhoreli). Between Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur districts the river divides into two
channels—the northern "Kherkutia" channel and the southern Brahmaputra channel. The
two channels join again about 100 kilometres (62 mi) downstream forming
the Majuli island, the largest river island in India. At Guwahati , near the ancient pilgrimage center of Hajo, the Brahmaputra
river cuts through the rocks of the Shillong Plateau becomes narrowest at 1 kilometre.
The Brahmaputra river enters Bangladesh from Assam.In Bangladesh, the Brahmaputra is joined by the Teesta River
(or tista river), one of its largest tributaries. Below the Teesta, the Brahmaputra splits into two
distributaries branches. The western larger branch continues due south as the Jamuna
to merge with the lower Ganges, called the Padma River The eastern smaller branch is called the lower or old Brahmaputra join the Meghna River
near Dhaka . The Padma and Meghna converge near Chandpur and flow out into the Bay of Bengal.
Dams on Brahmaputra River
The waters of the River Brahmaputra are shared by China, India, and
Bangladesh. In the 1990s and 2000s, there was repeated speculation about
China building a dam at the Great Bend, with a view to divert the waters to the north of the country. This was denied by the Chinese government
for many years. However on 22 April 2010, China confirmed that it was indeed building the Zangmu Dam but assured India that the project would
not have any significant effect on the downstream flow to India.
Chinese media reports indicated that the Zangmu project is unlikely to
be the last on the Brahmaputra. A news report on the widely read portal
Tencent said the Zangmu dam was “a landmark project” for Tibet's development, being the first major dam in Tibet, and “a project of
priority in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.” The report said that such projects would “greatly relieve the energy
stress in the middle regions of Tibet” and upgrade power capacity from 100 MW to 500 MW.
India's "high-calibre satellite" imagery has not shown diversion of Brahmaputra waters by China, official sources said
June 16, 2011 responding to criticism that government was turning a 'Nelson's eye' to reports of massive construction plans by Chinese
authorities. India has ascertained from its sources that the construction of a dam at Zangmu in the middle reaches of the Yarlung
Tsangpo (as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet) is a run-of-the river
hydro-electricity project which does not store water and will not adversely impact the downstream areas in India, the sources said adding
there was no cause for "worry or alarm". However, the sources said the government was continuing to "assess and monitor" the situation and any
attempt to divert the water in future will not be "seen favourably" by India.
Noting that apart from the assurances from China that it is a
run-of-the river project, the government has "verified" the facts from its own sources, the sources said adding "we don't only trust but also
assess." They also said a large proportion of the catchment of the Brahmaputra was within Indian territory. "It is important that the
states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam harness and utilize the waters of the Brahmaputra. This is the really important issue," they said. The
sources also pointed out that there was exchange of water data between the two countries and there was an expert-level committee to discuss such issues.
The looming threat to the world heritage sites of Kaziranga and other
national parks in Assam is not from poachers or encroachers. But according to a study conducted by experts it is from the 70 dams and
hydro electric power projects that are coming up on River Brahmaputra
and its tributaries in the North-East region of the country.
The study was conducted Bibhab K Talukdar, Secretary General of
Aaranyak, member organisation of National Board For Wildlife (NBWL) and
Partha J Das who heads the Water, Climate & Hazard Programme of the
organisation. The 70 large dams proposed by the Government of India are
to come up on the basins of the Rivers Siang (20), Lohit (11), Dibang
(17) and Subansiri (22).
History
The
Brahmaputra river upper course was long unknown, and its identity with
the Yarlung Tsangpo was only established by exploration in 1884-86. This river is often called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river. The lower reaches
in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam are sacred to Hindus
Until 1947, the Brahmaputra was used as a major waterway in India. In the 1990s, the stretch between Sadiya and
Dhubri was declared as National Waterway No.2., and it provides facilities for goods
transportation. Recently years have seen a modest spurt in the growth of river cruises.
Brahmaputra River in Hindu religion
There are many mythological stories on
Brahmaputra river. The most popular one is about the river's birth in 'Kālikā Purāna'. It
describes how Lord Parashurama , one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, got rid of his sin of beheading his own
mother with an axe by taking bath in this sacred river. This place is presently known as
Parashurām Kunda (about 25 km north of Tezu in Lomita district in`Arunāchal Pradesh).`
` In an another mythological story, Amogha wife of Sage Shantanu had a child by Brahma the creator of the Universe. The
child took the form of water. Shantanu placed the child right in the middle of the four great mountains –
Kailash, Gandhamadana, Jarudhi and Sambwartakka. He grew into a great lake, the Brahmakunda.
Economy
The plains watered by the stream
of Brahmaputra yield abundant crops of rice, jute, and mustard. The Brahmaputra is an important source of irrigation and navigation. The Planning Commission has accorded investment
clearance to implement anti-erosion works to protect Brahmaputra dykes on November 9, 2011.
This project is estimated to cost Rs 8.35 crore. The dyke works relate to 69 km (Uluberi) and 78 km (Borigaon). The
proposed scheme envisages anti-erosion measures for a 9000-m long reach
on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river. The proposed scheme has been
framed to protect an area of 8,000 hectares comprising cultivated and
homestead land including public and government properties. An estimated
1.50 lakh people are likely to be benefited from the scheme, official
sources said. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2011-12 and Plan accounts
will be closed by March 31, 2012.
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Ecology
The environment of the Brahmaputra floodplains in
Assam have been described as the Brahmaputra Valley semi- evergreen forests
ecoregion. Kaziranga National Park is approximately 720 miles northeast of Kolkata
in the Indian state of Assam. It lies in the flood plain of the Brahmaputra River across the central valley of Assam.
The spring snow melt and summer monsoon bring yearly floods to Kaziranga
that enrich its grasslands and tropical forests, enabling the park to support healthy populations of Bengal tigers, elephants, various deer,
wild water buffalo, boar, monkeys, reptiles and birds (both migratory and local). The park's most famous resident is the Great Indian one-horned
rhinoceros, which is every bit as big and burly as its African cousins.
The Indian rhino has been hunted extensively for
its horn, which is still prized in the Chinese and Vietnamese medicinal trade. Early in the 20th century, fewer than 200 Indian rhinos survived
in northeast India and lowland Nepal. Today, through habitat preservation and protection from hunting, that population has risen to
more than 2,800. Seventy percent of these animals are in Kaziranga.
Kaziranga National Park near
Dolphins in Brahmputra
Brahmaputra
The union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has realized
the extreme danger to river dolphins in the Ganga and Brahmaputra. The pollution levels in the Brahmaputra River and massive human
intervention has affected the dolphin's larger habitat. "They are very sensitive to pollution and the spill of sewage and other urban wastes
has disturbed their habitat," says Borthakur, a reputed
ethnobotanist.
River Brahmaputra will no more be a river of sorrow for the Indian
one-horned rhinoceros as the Assam forest department along with WWF and
US Fish and Wildlife Services is planning its second round of translocation this summer and the rhinos to be translocated will be from
Kaziranga National Park this time. The department's decision is among
others aimed at rescuing the rhinos, classified as vulnerable species
according to International Union of Conservation Network (IUCN), from
the flash floods of River Brahmaputra which takes a toll on at least
half a dozen of these animals every year. ?The other intention is aimed
at reviving the rhino population and ensuring conservation and
protection of Manas tiger reserve,? said a wildlife expert, who is a
part of this programme.
Tributaries of Brahmaputra River
The amin tributaries of Brahmaputra River
are Dibang River, Lohit River , Dhansiri River, Kameng River , Raidak River, Jaldhaka River, Teesta River
Environment Protection
In comparison with the other major rivers in India, the Brahmaputra
river is less polluted but it has its own problems: petroleum refining units contribute most of the industrial pollution load into the basin along
with other medium and small industries. The main problem facing the river basin is that of constant flooding. Floods have been occurring
more often in recent years with deforestation, and other human activities being the major causes.
During the monsoon season, floods are a common occurrence. Deforestation in the Brahmaputra watershed has resulted in
increased siltation levels, flash floods, and soil erosion in critical downstream habitat, such as the Kaziranga National Park in middle Assam.
The massive flooding causes huge losses to crops, life and property.
The beautiful Brahmaputra has become a river of sorrow for the people here. In the past two years, it has
devoured more than 40 young lives, bringing under public glare a vital question: shouldn't the government do something immediately to ensure
safety for the riders to the mighty river?
For long, people have been beseeching the authorities to check the
tragic re-runs. But regulations remain a distant dream even as the city moans the death of five people who were drowned in the river last week.
Their bodies are yet to be traced. Last year, over 22 lives were lost. The Inland Water Transport, which runs a ferry service till the Umananda
Temple on the Umananda Island, has also temporarily stopped the service since July 11, 2011 because of the rising water level. |
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Bhupen Hazarika, a music legend
Hazarika had "love-hate relationship" with the Brahmaputra
In 1965 Hazarika wrote and sung that famous song rebuking the
Burha Luit... "Brahmaputra" for flowing so silently despite seeing the sufferings of the people, his fans and critics wondered why he was so
angry with the mighty river. But while that was one song which was inspired by Paul Robeson's famous song Ol? Man River, Hazarika in his
lifetime spanning over eight decades wrote and sung over 100 songs about the Brahmaputra some of extreme anger and some of deep reverence to it.
"This river is the main source of inspiration not just for me but for everyone living by it. Life, culture, economy, and the happiness and
sorrow of the people in Assam are inseparable from the river," he said
in his numerous interviews.
Hazarika also had a personal reason against the " Brahmaputra. The river had taken away Sadiya, the place where I was
born, and I can never forgive the Brahmaputra for that," he had once said. Sadiya in the eastern end of Assam, which was once a flourishing town,
had disappeared due to massive erosion caused by the river that had changed course after the great earthquake of 1950.
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Brahmaputra cruises
Indo-British joint venture Assam Bengal Navigation, that had started its operations in 2003
offering long-distance cruises on Brahmaputra in Assam, initiated its
river cruises on the river Hugli (a tributary of Ganges) in 2007, extending it to the Ganges in 2010. In recent times Assam Bengal Navigation has had an increasing
share of clients from Australia, North America and Japan as well. The
company currently has offices in Guwahati and the UK. Assam Bengal Navigation has two luxury river boats - the
'ABN Charaidew', and 'ABN Sukapha'. The Brahmaputra cruises are in operation
from end-September till end of April and the Hugli and Ganges cruises
operation from July till end of April.
Brahmaputra cruises feature attractions such as wildlife viewing (both
by jeep and on elephant back), village walks, visits to tea gardens,
exploring country towns in cycle rickshaws, barbecues on deserted river
islands, dance performances, and visits to craft workshops. Between October and April a combination of seven-night, 10-night and four-night
cruises are offered. Cruises can be combined to give durations up to 14
nights.
Google map Brahmaputra River
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