Knowing Bangladesh

Karatoa River

Karatoa River an intriguing river, formerly the main channel of the tista, and perhaps a distributary of the brahmaputra. In the Siyar-al-Mutakhkhirin it is recorded that this river was three times the size of the ganges when bakhtiyar khalji invaded the Northern Region (1115 AD).

Tectonic disturbances had broken it up into four distinct parts.

The northern part, called the Dinajpur-Karatoa, is the main source of the atrai. It rises in a marsh in Baikanthapur in Jalpaiguri (India), but also receives water from underground streams. In khansama upazila its name changes to Atrai.

The Dinajpur-Karatoa was connected with the Rangpur-Karatoa north of Khansama, but very little water now passes down that channel.

The upper part of Rangpur-Karatoa originates in the Jalpaiguri district of India and is known as the Deonai-Jamuneshwari up to gobindaganj upazila.

The Jamuneshwari-Karatoa flows in slight meanders south-southeast to Gobindaganj upazila where the main stream turns east through the Katakhali and falls into the bangali.

 The portion of the former river passing through shibganj upazila is dry most of the year. It effectively separates the Rangpur-Karatoa from the Bogra-Karatoa.

The latter river flows south past bogra town till it joins the Bangali to make Phuljhor river, which falls into the hurasagar.

The maximum discharge of the Bogra-Karatoa is below 3,000 cusec and has declined rapidly since the construction of the Brahmaputra Right Embankment. The fourth part, the Pabna-Karatoa, is a moribund riverbed near Handial.

Various other channels are also pointed out as parts of the Old Karatoa.

The ancient Karatoa must have been a large river. In Ven den Brouck’s map of Bengal, prepared in 1660, it is shown as a large channel, and in the map of rennell, prepared in 1776, it is still a major river.

As late as 1810, Buchanan-Hamilton writes of it as ‘a very considerable river’. The decline however, came so rapidly after the 1820 flood that the old banks of the river are distinctly traceable.

The river was formerly sacred to the Hindus, as the derivation of the name shows. Kar (hand) and Toa (water) signified that the river was formed by the water which was poured on the hands of Siva, when he married the mountain goddess Parvati.

The system formed by the rivers Karatoa, Atrai, Gur, Gumani and Hurasagar has a total length of about 597 km and is free from tidal influence.                 

 

Punarbhaba River      

Punarbhaba River originates from the depressed lowlands of Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon district and ultimately becomes a tributary of the ganges.

 The upper course of this river is just a few kilometres west of the atrai. The main source of the Punarbhaba is the Brahmanpur Barind.

After flowing south the Punarbhaba meets with the Dhepa river which is a distributary of the karatoya. Just south of Dinajpur town it flows between the western and west-central Barind, and drains the west of the west-central part. Its valley is 3 to 8 km broad. It joins the mahananda south of Rohanpur (Nawabganj district).

Total length of the river is about 160 km. It has three tributaries - the tangon, Kulik and nagar. The Tangon has an entrenched valley, even in the Piedmont Plain. Along the Kulik the land is markedly undulating. The Nagar forms the western border of Dinajpur district for many kilometres.

Flowing through India, it again forms the boundary of Bangladesh near Bholahat, then flows through Nawabganj district and joins the Ganges south of Nawabganj town. There are no tidal effects on this river.

Knowing Bangladesh

Karatoa River

Karatoa River an intriguing river, formerly the main channel of the tista, and perhaps a distributary of the brahmaputra. In the Siyar-al-Mutakhkhirin it is recorded that this river was three times the size of the ganges when bakhtiyar khalji invaded the Northern Region (1115 AD). Tectonic disturbances had broken it up into four distinct parts. The northern part, called the Dinajpur-Karatoa, is the main source of the atrai. It rises in a marsh in Baikanthapur in Jalpaiguri (India), but also receives water from underground streams. In khansama upazila its name changes to Atrai. The Dinajpur-Karatoa was connected with the Rangpur-Karatoa north of Khansama, but very little water now passes down that channel. The upper part of Rangpur-Karatoa originates in the Jalpaiguri district of India and is known as the Deonai-Jamuneshwari up to gobindaganj upazila. The Jamuneshwari-Karatoa flows in slight meanders south-southeast to Gobindaganj upazila where the main stream turns east through the Katakhali and falls into the bangali. The portion of the former river passing through shibganj upazila is dry most of the year. It effectively separates the Rangpur-Karatoa from the Bogra-Karatoa. The latter river flows south past bogra town till it joins the Bangali to make Phuljhor river, which falls into the hurasagar. The maximum discharge of the Bogra-Karatoa is below 3,000 cusec and has declined rapidly since the construction of the Brahmaputra Right Embankment. The fourth part, the Pabna-Karatoa, is a moribund riverbed near Handial. Various other channels are also pointed out as parts of the Old Karatoa. The ancient Karatoa must have been a large river. In Ven den Broucks map of Bengal, prepared in 1660, it is shown as a large channel, and in the map of rennell, prepared in 1776, it is still a major river. As late as 1810, Buchanan-Hamilton writes of it as a very considerable river. The decline however, came so rapidly after the 1820 flood that the old banks of the river are distinctly traceable. The river was formerly sacred to the Hindus, as the derivation of the name shows. Kar (hand) and Toa (water) signified that the river was formed by the water which was poured on the hands of Siva, when he married the mountain goddess Parvati. The system formed by the rivers Karatoa, Atrai, Gur, Gumani and Hurasagar has a total length of about 597 km and is free from tidal influence. Punarbhaba River Punarbhaba River originates from the depressed lowlands of Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon district and ultimately becomes a tributary of the ganges. The upper course of this river is just a few kilometres west of the atrai. The main source of the Punarbhaba is the Brahmanpur Barind. After flowing south the Punarbhaba meets with the Dhepa river which is a distributary of the karatoya. Just south of Dinajpur town it flows between the western and west-central Barind, and drains the west of the west-central part. Its valley is 3 to 8 km broad. It joins the mahananda south of Rohanpur (Nawabganj district). Total length of the river is about 160 km. It has three tributaries - the tangon, Kulik and nagar. The Tangon has an entrenched valley, even in the Piedmont Plain. Along the Kulik the land is markedly undulating. The Nagar forms the western border of Dinajpur district for many kilometres. Flowing through India, it again forms the boundary of Bangladesh near Bholahat, then flows through Nawabganj district and joins the Ganges south of Nawabganj town. There are no tidal effects on this river.