Everything about The River Teesta totally explained
The
River Teesta (
Tista Nodi), said to be the lifeline of the
Indian state of
Sikkim, flows for almost the entire length of the state, carving out verdant
Himalayan temperate and tropical river valleys. The emerald coloured river then forms the border between Sikkim and
West Bengal before joining the
Brahmaputra as a tributary in
Bangladesh.
Course
The
river originates from
Cho Lhamu Lake at an elevation of 5,330 m (17,500 feet) above
sea level in the mighty
Himalayas. This
lake lies to the north of the
Donkia Pass near
Shetschen, where the summit of the pass is about eight kilometres north-east of
Darjeeling as the crow flies.
The Teesta River is then fed by
rivulets which arise in the Thangu, Yumthang and Donkia-La ranges. The river then flows past the town of
Rangpo where it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to
Teesta Bazaar. At
Teesta Suspension Bridge, which joins
Kalimpong with
Darjeeling, the river is met by its main
tributary, the
Rangeet River. At this point, it changes course southwards flowing entirely into West Bengal. The river hits the plains at Sevoke, where it's spanned by the
Coronation Bridge which links the north east states to the rest of
India. The river then courses its way to
Jalpaiguri and then to
Rangpur District of Bangladesh, before finally merging with the mighty
Brahmaputra at
Fulcherry (in Bangladesh).
Geography
Through its course, river has carved out
ravines and
gorges in Sikkim meandering through the hills with the
hill station Kalimpong lying just off the river. Variegated vegetation can be seen along this route. At lower elevations,
tropical deciduous trees and shrubs cover the surrounding hills;
alpine vegetation is seen at the upper altitudes. The river is flanked by white sand which is used by the construction industry in the region. Large boulders in and around the waters make it ideal for
rafting enthusiasts.
Between the towns of Rangpo and Lohapul, the Teesta flows with a very strong current, ideal for white river rafting. Towns like
Teesta Bazaar and
Melli have facilities for group rafting. Though an innocuous looking river, the underlying current is very strong. In
1915, G.P. Robertson, the then Municipal Engineer of Darjeeling, while surveying the river, drowned after losing control of the boat in the turbulence. The boat then struck a partially hidden boulder and was sucked in by a whirlpool, leaving no trace of the occupants.
During the
monsoons this humble river distends its banks; both in size and turbulence.
Landslides in this region often dam up parts of the river in this season.
Changes in the course of rivers
Great changes have taken place in the course of some of the rivers in
Bengal and the adjoining areas, during the period since 1500 AD. Although positive evidence is lacking, similar changes can be assumed in the remoter past. The Teesta is one of the rivers that has changed over the years. .
The Teesta earlier ran due south from
Jalpaiguri in three channels, namely, the
Karatoya to the east, the
Punarbhaba in the west and the
Atrai in the centre. The three channels possibly gave the name to the river as Trisrota (possessed of three streams) which has been shortened and corrupted to Teesta. Of these three the Punarbhaba joined the
Mahananda. The Atrai passing through a vast marshy area known as
Chalan Beel joined the Karatoya and the united stream joined the
Padma near Jafarganj. In the destructive floods of 1787, the Teesta forsook its old channel and rushing south-east it joined the
Brahmaputra.
Kosi
The
Kosi (Kausiki), which now flows through the north-eastern
Bihar and joins the Ganges at a point much higher up than
Rajmahal, originally ran eastward and fell into the Brahmaputra. The channel of the Kosi, therefore, must have been steadily shifting towards the west, right across the whole breadth of North Bengal. There was a time when the Kosi and the Mahananda joined the Karatoya and formed a sort of ethnic boundary between people living south of it and the
Kochs and
Kiratas living north of the river.
[Further Information]
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