Nadia Rivers
Nadia Rivers, 1908
A group of offshoots of the Ganges which flow through the Nadia and Murshidabad Districts of Bengal and unite to form the Hooghly. The Nadia rivers include the Bhaoirathi, the Jalangi with the Bhairab, and the Matabhanga with the Churni. These rivers represent old spill channels of the Ganges, and during the rains still carry down to the sea a portion of the flood-water from that river. Their condition as waterways and as the channels which feed the Hooghly from the Ganges is a matter of much importance to the trade of Calcutta, and during the hot season a weekly register of their depth is published as a guide to native merchants and boatmen. Since the end of the eighteenth century, however, increasing difficulty has been experienced in keeping them open for navigation throughout the year, as if left to themselves they silt up during the dry season. These channels, with an aggregate length of 470 miles, are controlled by Government ; and, though no permanent works have been constructed, such measures as are practicable are taken every year to confine the water, by means of bamboo spurs, to a limited channel, so as to force the current to scour the bars and to obtain a depth sufficient for naviga- tion by boats of small draught. For the services rendered tolls are levied at Jangipur, Hanskhali, and Swarupganj on vessels using the rivers. In 1902-3 the estimated value of the cargo carried was 183 lakhs; and in 1903-4 the gross revenue amounted to Rs. 1,04,000, but there was a loss of Rs. 16,000 on the year's working.
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
