Farakka Barrage
Farakka Barrage | |
---|---|
Ganges River | |
Length | 2,304 metres (7,559 ft) |
Farakka Barrage is a
Geography
3miles
Feeder Canal
Township
3miles
Location
Faraka Barrage is located at 24°48′16″N 87°55′59″E / 24.80444°N 87.93306°E.
Note: The two maps present some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the maps are linked in the larger full screen maps.
Purpose
The barrage was constructed by
The purpose of the barrage is to divert 1,800 cubic metres per second (64,000 cu ft/s) of water from the Ganges to the Hooghly River for flushing out sediment deposition from Kolkata harbour without the need of regular mechanical dredging. After commissioning the project, it was found that the diverted water flow from the Farakka barrage was not adequate to flush the sediment from the river satisfactorily. In addition, there are regular land/bank collapses in to the Ganga river due to the high level back waters of the Farakka barrage. Substantial high land is already converted into low level river bed causing displacement of huge populations.[4] The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka.[5]
Farakka water sharing treaty
As per the treaty between India and Bangladesh, signed in 1996, for sharing of the Ganges water at Farakka, the division is as follows:[6]
Availability at Farakka | Share of India | Share of Bangladesh |
---|---|---|
70,000 cusecs or less | 50% | 50% |
70,000 – 75,000 cusecs | Balance of the flow | 35,000 cusecs |
75,000 cusecs or more | 40,000 cusecs | Balance of the flow |
Impact
The
Twenty years later, in 1996, a 30-year agreement was signed. It did not contain any guarantee clause for unconditional minimum amounts of water to be supplied to Bangladesh or India, nor could the future hydrological parameters taken into account as is always the case when water resources are planned on historic data series. As a result, the agreement is sometimes perceived to be failed by some sections in Bangladesh to provide the expected result.[8] Constant monitoring of the implementation of negotiations in lean season continue to the present today. In Bangladesh, it is perceived that the diversion has raised salinity levels, contaminated fisheries, hindered navigation, and posed a threat to water quality and public health.[9] Lower levels of soil moisture along with increased salinity have also led to desertification.[10] However, this barrage still has significant effect on the mutual relation of these two neighboring countries.
Farakka barrage has been criticized for the floods in Bihar as it is causing excessive siltation in the Ganga.[11]
See also
- Farakka Super Thermal Power Station
- Farakka Long March (1976 protest)
- Ganges Barrage Project
- Sharing the water of the Ganges
- River bank erosion along the Ganges in Malda and Murshidabad districts
- Indian Rivers Inter-link
- Kalpasar Project
- List of longest bridges in the world
- List of longest bridges above water in India
References
- ^ "Farakka Barrage - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Farakka Barrage Project Farakka". Archived from the original on 28 April 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8213-5352-3. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ "The Encroaching Ganga and Social Conflicts: The Case of West Bengal, India" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "Ganga river water flow data at Farakka, India". Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "Treaty between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on sharing of the Ganga/ Ganges waters at Farakka" (PDF). ssvk. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- OCLC 20820859.
- ^ Nurul Kobir, a journalist of Bangladesh on first day of India-Bangladesh dialogue held 7–8 November on Dhaka
- ^ Wolf, Aaron T. (2001). "Water and Human Security" (PDF). Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education. 118: 31.
- .
- ^ "Over 50 years ago, Bihar's chief engineer predicted that the Farakka dam would flood Bihar". September 2016.