Padma
Padma River in Bangladesh
Location in Bangladesh
Native nameপদ্মা (Bengali)
Location
CountriesBangladesh, India
DistrictsIndia: Murshidabad Bangladesh:
  • Munshiganj
  • Pabna
  • Manikganj
  • Rajshahi
  • Kushtia
  • Nawabganj
  • Faridpur
  • Madaripur
  • Rajbari
  • Shariatpur
  • Chandpur
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationBifurcation of the Ganges at Giria, India, and The Gangotri Glacier in the middle of Himalayans
Mouth 
 • locationLower Meghna
Length356 km (221 mi)[1]
Basin size1,487,657.3 km2 (574,387.7 mi2)[2]
Discharge 
 • average(Period: 1971–2000)34,938.1 m3/s (1,233,830 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimumDuring dry season 15,000 m3/s (530,000 cu ft/s)
 • maximumDuring monsoon season 750,000 m3/s (26,000,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River systemGanges River
BridgesPadma Bridge
Lalon Shah Bridge
Hardinge Bridge

The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা, romanized: Pôdmā) is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for 356 kilometres (221 mi) to its confluence with the Meghna River, near the Bay of Bengal.[1] The city of Rajshahi is situated on the banks of the river.[3] Since 1966, over 66,000 hectares of land have been lost to erosion of the Padma.[4]

History

Etymology

The Padma, Sanskrit for lotus flower, is mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts as a byname for the Goddess Lakshmi.[5] There is also a narration of Lakshmi’s connection to this river told in the Tripura Rahasya.

Geographic effects

Eighteenth-century geographer James Rennell referred to a former course of the Ganges north of its present channel, as follows:

Appearances favour very strongly the opinion, that the Ganges had its former bed in the tract now occupied by the lakes and morasses between Nattore and Jaffiergunge, striking out of the present course at Bauleah ... to a junction with the Burrampooter or Megna near Fringybazar; where the accumulation of two such mighty streams probably scooped out the present amazing bed of the Megna.[6]

Murshidabad District

Murshidabad District is situated on the western bank of the Padma. It flows dividing the Rajshahi and Murshidabad District of West Bengal and created a natural river border between India and Bangladesh.[7][8] The Jalangi area of the district was seriously affected by river bank erosion of the Padma.[9]

Infrastructure

Damming

After the construction of the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges River in West Bengal, the maximum flows in the Padma River were reduced significantly. The flow reduction caused many problems in Bangladesh, including the loss of fish species, the drying of the Padma's distributaries, increased saltwater intrusion from the Bay of Bengal, and damage to the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans.[10]

Padma Bridge

The Padma Bridge is Bangladesh's largest bridge and cost an estimated US$3 billion to complete. It was inaugurated on the 25th of June 2022.[11] It was supposed to be open to the public in 2013, but the project's future became uncertain when, in June 2012, the World Bank cancelled its $1.2 billion loan over allegations of corruption.[12] In June 2014, the government of Bangladesh, proceeded without the loan and hired a Chinese firm to construct the 6.15-kilometre (3.82 mi) main part of the bridge. In October 2014, it hired a South Korean firm to supervise construction, with the aim of finishing the project by 2018.[13] The final (41st) span of the bridge was installed on the 10th of December 2020.[14][15] The last road slab was installed on the span that linked pillars 12 and 13 of the Padma bridge on the 24th of August 2021.[16][17]

In 2009, government plans also included rail lines on both sides of the Padma with a connection via the new bridge.[18]

The Lalon Shah Bridge and Hardinge Bridge also crosses the Padma further upstream.

See also

References

  1. Allison, Mead A. (Summer 1998). "Geologic Framework and Environmental Status of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta". Journal of Coastal Research. 13 (3). Coastal Education & Research Foundation, Inc.: 826–836. JSTOR 4298836.
  2. Eric, Tilman. "Ganga (Ganges)-Brahmaputra".
  3. Hossain ML, Mahmud J, Islam J, Khokon ZH and Islam S (eds.) (2005) Padma, Tatthyakosh Vol. 1 and 2, Dhaka, Bangladesh, p. 182 (in Bengali).
  4. "Over 66,000 hectares lost to Padma since 1967: NASA report". The Daily Star.
  5. Williams, George M. (2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
  6. Rennell, James (January 1783). "Account of the Ganges and Burrampooter Rivers". The Scots Magazine. Vol. 45. p. 62.
  7. "The Padma River". 22 November 2011.
  8. "Ganga-Padma erosion poses security concerns in Bengal". 19 August 2013.
  9. "River Bank Erosion Induced Human Displacement and Its Consequences – Impact of Ganges River Bank Erosion". Tuhin K. Das, Sushil K. Haldar, Ivy Das Gupta and Sayanti Sen. Living Reviews in Landscape Research.
  10. Islam, Nazrul (29 April – 5 May 2006). "IRLP or the Ecological Approach to Rivers?". Economic and Political Weekly. 41 (17): 1693–1702. JSTOR 4418148.
  11. "Grand preparations made for Padma Bridge inauguration". The Daily Star. 24 June 2022.
  12. "World Bank Statement on Padma Bridge" (Press release). World Bank Group. 29 June 2012.
  13. Kallol, Assif Showkat (14 October 2014). "Korean Firm Gets Padma Bridge Construction Supervision Job". Dhaka Tribune.
  14. "Last span of Padma Multipurpose Bridge installed". The Daily Star. 10 December 2020.
  15. "Last span of Padma Multipurpose Bridge installed". Daily Sun.
  16. "It's possible to walk across the Padma now". The Daily Star. 24 August 2021.
  17. "Padma Bridge likely to open to traffic by June 2022". Dhaka Tribune.
  18. "Plan to Lay 80 km Rail Line on Both Sides of Padma Bridge". The Daily Star. BSS. 15 August 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Padma River.

23°16′N 90°36′E / 23.267°N 90.600°E / 23.267; 90.600