BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER

Subject: Geography

Context: India on Thursday said it “carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra” river, even as Beijing said it was its “legitimate right” to develop hydro power projects.

Concept:

• Brahmaputra river system is one of the largest rivers in the world. In the Tibet region, it is known by the name of YarlungTsangpo. It enters by the names of Siang and Dihang in India. And after it is joined by its two main tributaries, the Dibang and theLohit, it is known by the name of Brahmaputra. It flows in Bangladesh by the name of Jumna. Finally, it merges with the Ganga river.

Brahmaputra River System

• The world’s largest riverine island, Majuli Island is on the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam. Important cities along Brahmaputra are Dibrugarh, Pasighat, Neamati, Tezpur and Guwahati.
• Source of origin: The Brahmaputra river rises from Chemayundung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar Lake to the north of the Himalayas in the southwest Tibet region.
• Confluence of Mouth: The Brahmaputra drains into the Bay of Bengal before forming a huge delta along with the Ganga.

Course of the Brahmaputra river

• In Tibet, it runs parallel to the Himalayas for about 1,200 km. It turns into the south and creates a deep gorge through the Himalayas near NamchaBarwa and enters India under the name of the Dihang.
• Near Sadia, it receives the Dibang coming from the north and the Lohit coming from the east and enters the Assam valley where it is called the Brahmaputra. It flows in the west direction up to Dhubri and further below, it runs to the south and enters Bangladesh.
• The Brahmaputra receives numerous tributaries in the Assam valley. The number of streams joining the Brahmaputra on its right-bank is greater than that of those joining it on the left-bank. Most of the tributaries are large streams and they pour great quantities of water in the Brahmaputra.
• During the rainy season, it is 8 km broad, slow-moving and heavily laden with silt. Its channel is braided. It is notorious for floods and erosion of its banks. Recurrent floods not only hampers the navigation through the river but also the establishment of large towns on its banks.

Primary Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River

The Dhansiri River

• It is the left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river.It rises from Liasang peak of Nagaland. It is the main river of the Golaghat district of Assam and the Dimapur district of Nagaland.

The Lohit River

• It is an important left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It rises in the eastern Tibet region. The Lohitriver flows through the Mishmi Hills. It joins the left-bank of the Brahmaputra at Sadia town in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• . The newly constructed massive Dhola-Sadia bridge or the Bhupen Hazarika bridge spans the Lohit river.

The Dibang River

• It is the left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It is one of the principal tributaries of the Brahmaputra river. It flows through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

The Subansiri River

• It is the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It rises in the Tibet region in the Himalayas. It flows east and southeast through the Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, and then south to the Assam valley, where it joins the right-bank of the Brahmaputra river in the Lakhimpur district of Assam. The Subansiri River is known as the Gold River by the locals. This river is famous all over the world for its gold dust.

The Kameng River

• It is the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It rises in the Tawang district in the eastern .
• The Kaziranga National Park and the Pakkhui Wildlife Sanctuary are located near the Kameng river.

The Manas River

• It is the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It is a trans-boundary river in the Himalayan foothills between southern Bhutan and India. The Manas river flows through Bhutan and Assam in India before it joins the right-bank of the Brahmaputra river.

The Sankosh River

• It is the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. It is a trans0boundary river and it flows through Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh. It rises in the northern Bhutan region

The Teesta River

• It is the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. The Teesta rises from Zemu glacier in Kanchenjunga massif in Sikkim. The Teesta river drains the entire state of Sikkim and a part of Darjeeling Hills. It is known as the lifeline of Sikkim.