Padma River

This article is about the river. For other uses, see Padma (disambiguation).

The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা, romanized: Padmā Pôdma) 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.^[2] Since 1966, over 66,000 hectares of land has been lost to erosion of the Padma.^[3]

The Padma River পদ্মা নদী
Padma River in Bangladesh
Location in Bangladesh
Location
Countries	Bangladesh
Districts	Munshiganj Pabna Manikganj Rajshahi Kushtia Nawabganj Faridpur Madaripur Rajbari Shariatpur Chandpur
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Bifurcation of the Ganges at Giria, India, and The Gangotri Glacier in the middle of Himalayans
Mouth
• location	Bay of Bengal
Length	356 kilometres (221 mi)[1]
Discharge
• average	Annual average: 35,000 m3/s (1,200,000 cu ft/s) During monsoon season: 750,000 m3/s (26,000,000 cu ft/s) During dry season: 15,000 m3/s (530,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Ganges River System
Bridges	Padma Bridge Lalon Shah Bridge Hardinge Bridge

A map showing the major rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal, including Padma.

History

Etymology

The Padma, Sanskrit for lotus flower, is a mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts as a byname for the Goddess Lakshmi.^[4]

Engine Boat at Padma river

Geographic effects

Padma River and boats (1860)

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.^[5]

Speedboat at Padma River

Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh

Sunset from Padma River

A view of Padma river in summer near Rajshahi

Murshidabad District

Main article: Jalangi River

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.^[6][7] Jalangi area of the district was seriously affected by river bank erosion of the Padma.^[8]

Sunset from the river Padma during monsoon, Rajpara, Rajshahi

Infrastructure

Sky over river padma

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 Padma's distributaries, increased saltwater intrusion from the Bay of Bengal, and damage to the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans.^[9]

Padma Bridge

The Padma Bridge is Bangladesh's largest bridge and costed an estimated US$3 billion to complete. It was inaugurated on 25 June 2022.^[10] 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.^[11] In June 2014, the government of Bangladesh, proceeding 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.^[12] The final (41st) span of the bridge was installed on 10 December 2020.^[13][14] The last road slab was installed on the span that linked pillars 12 and 13 of the Padma bridge on 24 August 2021.^[15][16]

Effect of climate change of Padma river in 2024

In 2009, government plans also included rail lines on both sides of the Padma with a connection via the new bridge.^{[17][needs update]}

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

See also

• Ganges Barrage Project
• Railway stations in Bangladesh

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. 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).
3. "Over 66,000 hectares lost to Padma since 1967: NASA report". The Daily Star. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
4. Williams, George M. (2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
5. Rennell, James (January 1783). "Account of the Ganges and Burrampooter Rivers". The Scots Magazine. Vol. 45. p. 62. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
6. "The Padma River". 22 November 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
7. "Ganga-Padma erosion poses security concerns in Bengal". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
8. "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. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
9. Islam, Nazrul (29 April – 5 May 2006). "IRLP or the Ecological Approach to Rivers?". Economic and Political Weekly. 41 (17): 1693–1702. JSTOR 4418148.
10. "Grand preparations made for Padma Bridge inauguration". The Daily Star. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
11. "World Bank Statement on Padma Bridge" (Press release). World Bank Group. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
12. Kallol, Assif Showkat (14 October 2014). "Korean Firm Gets Padma Bridge Construction Supervision Job". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
13. "Last span of Padma Multipurpose Bridge installed". The Daily Star. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
14. "Last span of Padma Multipurpose Bridge installed". Daily Sun. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
15. "It's possible to walk across the Padma now". The Daily Star. 24 August 2021.
16. "Padma Bridge likely to open to traffic by June 2022". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
17. "Plan to Lay 80 km Rail Line on Both Sides of Padma Bridge". The Daily Star. BSS. 15 August 2009.

External links

• Chowdhury, Masud Hasan (2012). "Padma River". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

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