Manas River
Manas River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | India, Bhutan, China |
Physical characteristics | |
Length | 400 kilometres (250 mi) |
Basin features | |
River system | Brahmaputra River |
The Manas River (pron: [ˈmʌnəs]), known in Bhutan as the Drangme Chhu, is a transboundary river in the
The Manas river valley has two major forest reserves, namely
Geography
The Manas River drains 41,350 square kilometres (15,970 sq mi) of eastern Bhutan and northeast India. It has three major branches: the
The river flows through V-shaped gorges in a southwesterly direction between two ranges of the Lower Himalayas in Bhutan and enters Assam in the south-central foothills of the Himalayas. The valley widens in the foothills, where it is marked by the formation of swamps and marshes in the river's alluvial plain. The upper catchment is largely snowbound while the middle and lower catchment are thickly forested.[8]
The total combined length of all tributaries of the river system in Bhutan amounts to 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi). The main stem of the river, the
The
After flowing in a generally southwesterly direction for about 29 kilometres (18 mi) in Bhutan, the
The river valley in the foothills is surrounded by small meadows located among thickly deciduous forested foothills with many rivulets, streams and natural drainage channels related to the river system.
Hydrology
The Manas catchment is almost wholly mountainous, rising within the space of 140 kilometres (87 mi) from an elevation of about 100 metres (330 ft) near the Indian border to the great Himalayan peaks at over 7,500 metres (24,600 ft) along the main Himalayan range bordering Bhutan and Tibet. The huge elevation range and varied climatic conditions are reflected in rich diversity of fauna and flora native to the area.[5]
Climate
Climate along the river is extremely varied, ranging from hot, humid subtropical conditions in the south to cold, dry alpine conditions in the north. From May to October, the
Protected areas
Out of the large catchment of the river valley, many protected areas or reserves have been specifically demarcated, both in Bhutan and India, which are declared national parks or sanctuaries. The two forest and wildlife reserves cover an area of 9,938.54 square kilometres (3,837.29 sq mi), about 24% of the total catchment area of 41,350 square kilometres (15,970 sq mi) of the Manas basin.
Royal Manas National Park
Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan, considered the national heritage of Bhutan, was first declared a wildlife sanctuary and subsequently raised to the status of a national park in 1993. Covering an area of 9,938.54 square kilometres (3,837.29 sq mi), the area is 92% forested and is a well-preserved example of a natural Eastern Himalayan ecosystem. The park is bordered to the north by
The world's rarest monkeys, the
This article needs to be updated.(January 2023) |
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Assam, is considered one of "Asia's finest wild life reserves" and is a
The Manas River and its tributary the Hakua flow through the sanctuary. A thick mantle of alluvium is the dominant soil of the terrain. Under subtropical climatic conditions (with 30 millimetres (1.2 in) of annual rainfall and temperature varying between a maximum of 30 °C (86 °F) and a minimum of 5 °C (41 °F)), the forest consists of the semi-evergreen forest vegetation with mixed deciduous, littorals, and swamps, and interspersed with bamboo and cane. Flooding occurs in large parts of the bioreserve.[17][18]
The park is managed under several conservation management units such as the Core Zone, the Buffer Zone, and the Economic Zone. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as tigers and elephants, as well as the
In 1980, the park was central to the
Environmental issues
The Manas River has often been at the centre of environmental controversies, particularly in the 1980s. Two dams were proposed on the Bhutanese side of the river to provide hydroelectric power and to control the flow of the Brahmaputra on its northern bank and to make way for irrigation schemes. However, there were not only local concerns but national and international ones among environmentalists with regard to the proposals, who lobbied enough support to ensure that the dam proposals were dropped in 1986.[21] In February 1989, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) invaded the park and killed several wardens and guards, permitting the entry of poachers and loggers who posed an immediate threat to the wildlife of the park and its river. The threat of flooding remained as ever in 2010.[21]
One of the development projects planned in the past on the Manas River envisaged flood control in the Brahmaputra River and augmentation of flows in the Ganga river system by building a dam on the Manas at the Indo-Bhutan border. The water stored behind the reservoir was proposed to be transferred through a long canal system through the foothills of the Himalayas (skirting Bangladesh), crossing 25 major and minor rivers, out of which the major rivers the Sankosh, Raidak, Amo (Torsa), Karatoya, Teesta, Atrai and Mahananda flow through North Bengal, and finally into the Kosi River in North Bihar. The project has not proceeded further due to adverse public opinion and environmental concerns.[22][21]
A proposal mooted in the 1970s to build a dam on the river for multipurpose uses of power, irrigation, and flood control in Assam involved a 100-kilometre-long (62 mi) canal from the Manas reservoir to another reservoir on the Sankosh River. As the canal would have passed through the Manas Tiger Reserve, the
See also
- List of rivers in Assam
- Manas National Park
References
- ^ "Physiological survey". Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ a b c "Physiological Survey". FAO Corporate Document Repository. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
- ^ a b Report Volume I: Rashtriya Barh Ayog (National Commission On Floods). Government of India. 1973.
- ^ "Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan". WWF Global. Archived from the original on 7 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Bhutan" (PDF). Ramsar. Wetlands.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
- ^ "Manas river". Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ^ "River Systems". US Liba raray of Congress. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ^ ISBN 81-85182-61-2. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "The Manas River bordering Bhutan famous for the game fish "Golden Masheer"". En.tixik. Retrieved 6 March 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "What to See – Manas National Park". Nivalink. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-74059-529-2. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan". WWF for a Living Planet. Archived from the original on 7 November 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Parks of Bhutan". Bhutan Trust Fund for Environment Conservation. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
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- ^ a b Kemf p. 157
- ^ Negi p. 93
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- ^ "River-Linking and Assam's Interests". The South Asian. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ Kemf p. 159
- ^ "Intercountry Cooperation in Development of Hydropower". Indi-Bhutan Cooperation Projects. National Informatics Centre. p. 11. Archived from the original (ppt) on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.