River Brahmaputra

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River Brahmaputra
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• Brahmaputra is the biggest of the Indian
  rivers, even bigger than the Ganga. Brahmaputra
  is regarded as one of the great rivers of
  southern Asia (1,800 mi) long. In Sanskrit, it
  means "son of Brahma".

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• Legend Behind Brahmaputra
• In the ancient Indian tradition, two rivers
  are known to originate from Manasarovar Lake, in
  Mt. Kailas one flowing to the east is called
  Brahmaputra and the other flowing to the west was
  called Shatadru, a tributary of the Sarasvati
  (joining the latter at Shatrana, Punjab) in
  Rigvedic times. Both these major rivers,
  Brahmaputra and Sarasvati are related to the God
  of creation, Brahma. The lower portion of the
  river is sacred to Hindus.

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• The river's three names, the Brahmaputra
  (India), Yarlung Zangbo (Tibet), and Jamuna
  (Bangladesh), reflect the social fabric of ethnic
  groups and international communities living along
  its banks. The river is considered to be a symbol
  of synthesis of people of all religions, castes
  and creeds. The river Brahmaputra drains a vast
  area of nearly 9,36,800 sq. kms. It is a river of
  immense importance and navigable from the Bay of
  Bengal to Assam, a distance of nearly 1,280 kms.
  It is a splendid waterway for commerce and
  travel.

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• The Course of Brahmaputra
• After entering the hills of Assam Brahmaputra
  flows to Guwahati. Here lies a very ancient place
  of pilgrimage, the temple of goddess Kamakhya on
  a hill. The river then passes through Umananda
  Bhairab, with its granite foundations rising from
  the lap of the river. The river then reaches
  Pandughat, close to which lies the hill station
  of Shillong. The river flows through various
  towns till it reaches Goalundo. It is here that
  the river Ganga joins it to form the river
  Padma.The river then flows towards Calcutta and
  then finally empties itself in the Bay of Bengal.

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Present condition of Brahmaputra

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Causes of changes in its ecology

• The great earthquake of 1950 created havoc,
  specially in the upper reaches of the Himalayas
  in and around the Siang and the Diboug river
  courses as well as in the upper Assam plains.
  There was considerable impact on the topography
  on both sides of the Brahmaputra Valley. This
  natural calamity was mainly responsible for the
  abrupt changes in the river ecology. The river
  Brahmaputra and its many tributaries in upper
  Assam badly suffered due to blockage caused by
  uprooted trees, boulders and soil erosion.

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Comparison between past and present condition

• In the pre-earthquake period there was
  complete harmony between the people and the river
  ecology. Floods were tackled in an indigenous way
  and were hardly considered a menace. The
  recurring floods were responsible for the
  fertility of the soil and for cleaning the
  stagnant water of the town. They were also
  responsible for a source of protein because of
  the large quantity of fish caught.
• In the post-earthquake period, because of
  engineering measures, there was a gradual change
  in the river ecology in and around Dibrugarh town
  which resulted in socio-economic problems.

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Other changes

A dam which was erected to protect the town
from floods has became a source of fear for the
people in the recent past. It has created a
constant threat of flash floods in heavy rain due
to a possible breach in the dam. People of the
town living adjacent to the river have had to be
shifted to multi-storied buildings or to high
places a couple of times in the past.
Arrangements for a public address system had to
made to inform people about the flood situation
and prevent panic.
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• Another factor reflected in the agricultural
  sector was due to the stoppage of annual silting.
  The people of the area after the earthquake faced
  the problem of normal growth and production of
  quality crops and vegetables. This resulted in
  the use of chemical fertiliser and resultant
  deterioration in kitchen garden produce.
• Fish became more expensive because of the
  dyke and the natural drying of the ponds.

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• The drain around the town has become a health
  hazard. This drain is now a constant source of
  water pollution.
• In pre-earthquake times Dibrugarh was a green
  town. Due to the change in the river ecology
  there are now fewer trees, herbs and shrubs,
  specially medicinal herbs.

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Some suggested measures
Instead of constructing an artificial dam to
prevent river water overflowing the bank and
low-lying areas, the natural process of flooding
should have been allowed to continue. With the
gradual removal of debris either naturally or by
mechanical means, the fury of the floods would
have eased in course of time. The traditional
ecological crisis management system should have
been studied by planners to make it more
effective in dealing with the recurring floods
and soil erosion.