CHARS

Subject : Geography

Context : Cong, AIUDF set for big gains in river islands dominated by Bengali-speaking Muslims, and hit by floods, BJP rhetoric.

Concept :

Chars are riverine islands in the Brahmaputra formed through silt deposits. Life in the char is defined by the mighty river.
The riverine areas (island) of the river Brahmaputra, locally known as “Char/ Chapori” cover about 3.60 lakhs hectares of land and population of approx. 24.90 lakhs (as per Socio Economic Survey 2002-03).
Distinction should be made between island chars, which are surrounded by water year-round and attached chars, which are connected to the mainland under normal flow.
The chars follow a peculiar pattern of migration. They are subjected to erosion on their upstream and deposition on the downstream, due to which they migrate downstream.
This affects the geometry and location of the chars during floods almost every year.