Question

Which of the following are distributaries formed due to the Farakka Barrage?

1. Bhagirathi-Hooghly

2. Padma

3. Damodar

• A. 1 & 2
• B. 2 & 3
• C. 1 & 3
• D. All are correct

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 1 & 2

• Correct Answer: Option A) 1 & 2

• The Farakka Barrage is a major barrage built across the Ganges River in West Bengal, India. It was commissioned in 1975 with the primary purpose of diverting water from the Ganges to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system to restore and maintain the flow, especially to improve navigability at Kolkata Port.

• When the barrage was constructed, it altered the natural flow of the Ganges River, creating two main distributaries:

• Bhagirathi-Hooghly: This is the western distributary of the Ganges that flows through West Bengal. The Farakka Barrage was specifically designed to divert water into this channel to maintain its flow.

• Padma: After the barrage, the main stream of the Ganges continues eastward as the Padma River, which flows into Bangladesh. This distributary carries the majority of the Ganges water.

• The Damodar River is not a distributary formed due to the Farakka Barrage. It is a separate river that originates in Jharkhand and flows through West Bengal before joining the Hooghly River. The Damodar has its own dam system known as the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) projects.