Padma River

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File:Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins.jpg
A map showing the major rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal, including Padma.

The Padma (Template:Langx) is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for Script error: No such module "convert". 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 have been lost to erosion of the Padma.[3]

History

Etymology

The Padma, Sanskrit for lotus flower, is mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts as a byname for the Goddess Lakshmi.[4] There is also a narration of Lakshmi’s connection to this river told in the Tripura Rahasya.

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Engine Boat at Padma river

Geographic effects

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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:

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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]

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File:Speedboat Padma River.jpg
Speedboat at Padma River
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Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh
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Sunset from Padma River
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A view of Padma river in summer near Rajshahi

Murshidabad District

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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] The Jalangi area of the district was seriously affected by river bank erosion of the Padma.[8]

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Sunset from the river Padma during monsoon, Rajpara, Rajshahi

Infrastructure

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

Padma Bridge

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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.[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, proceeded without the loan and hired a Chinese firm to construct the Script error: No such module "convert". 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 the 10th of December 2020.[13][14] 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.[15][16]

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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]Template:Update inline

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

See also

References

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  2. Hossain ML, Mahmud J, Islam J, Khokon ZH and Islam S (eds.) (2005) Padma, Tatthyakosh Vol. 1 and 2, Dhaka, Bangladesh, p. 182 Template:In lang.
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External links

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