Jaldhaka River
| Jaldhaka River | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Countries | India, Bhutan and Bangladesh |
| District | Gangtok District India, Samtse Bhutan, Kalimpong India, Jalpaiguri India, Cooch Behar India, Lalmonirhat Bangladesh, Kurigram Bangladesh. |
| States | Sikkim India, West Bengal India, Paro Bhutan, Rangpur Bangladesh. |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kupup or Bitang Lake |
| • location | Kupup or Bitang Lake, East Sikkim India |
| Mouth | Dharla River, Brahmaputra |
• location | Lalmonirhat District, Bangladesh |
The Jaldhaka River (Pron:/ˌdʒælˈdɑːkə/) (Bengali: জলঢাকা নদী), also known as Dichu, a tributary of Brahmaputra[1] is a trans-boundary river flowing through India, Bhutan and Bangladesh with a length of 233 kilometres. It originates from the Bitang Lake (or Kupup Lake) of Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in Gangtok District, Sikkim, just below the Jelep La pass. It flows through Gangtok District and then passes through Bhutan's Samtse District and reenters India at Bindu, Kalimpong district. After flowing through the Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal, India, the river enters Bangladesh through the Lalmonirhat District of Rangpur Division. It is known as Dharla River in Bangladesh until the Dharla debouches into the Brahmaputra River near the Kurigram District. Due to the river's wandering over several international borders, only a small length of the river lies in Bangladesh and Bhutan and most of its path lies in India. In some places, this river is also known as Mansai river and Singhimari river.[2]
Geography[]
Jaldhak or Dichu originates from the Kupup Lake, a small glacial lake in Sikkim. It gains volume through the confluence of two other streams near Bindu, viz., Bindu Khola and Dudh Pokhri. The combined stream meet at Bindu to increase the volume of Jaldhaka River, thus forming a riverine boundary with India and Bhutan in the left bank. The main tributaries that join the river on its right bank are the Murti, the Jholung khola, the Naksal Khola, the Sutunga and the Jarda in the lower reach. The Diana, Rehti-Duduya and Mujnai are the main left bank tributaries.
The river flows through the three North Bengal districts of Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Bihar. The entire watershed is the most fertile agricultural zone along with the Teesta Basin. The upper course is famous for crops like ginger, medicinal herbs and fruits like oranges and pomegranate. The middle course comprising Jalpaiguri district is entirely tea and corn dominated and the lower course is dominated by rice, jute and tobacco. The inter-river formed lands are cultivated with crops like bamboo and mat sticks. In the lower basin, the inter-river lands are cultivated with banana.
The river enters Bangladesh at Ghoksadanga district to meet the Brahmaputra or the Jamuna as it is known there.
Floods[]
River Jaldhaka, along with River Teesta have created major flooding multiple times in Bangladesh during monsoon season between June to September.[3]
References[]
- ^ Sharma, Suresh Kant; Sharma, Usha (2005), Discovery of North-East India: Geography, History, Culture, Religion, Politics, Sociology, Science, Education and Economy. Assam. Volume three, Mittal Publications, p. 141, ISBN 978-81-8324-037-6
- ^ Murshed, Md Mahbub (2012). "Jaldhaka River". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ "Several thousand houses inundated in Kurigram". 28 August 2021.
External links[]
- Rivers of Bangladesh
- Rivers of Sikkim
- Rivers of West Bengal
- International rivers of Asia
- Rivers of India
- Rivers of Rangpur Division
- Rivers of Kalimpong district
- Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River