The Ganga (eBook)

The Ganga 1
Foreword 6
Contents 10
Introduction 15
Acknowledgement 20
Notations and Abbreviations 22
Words with Different Spellings 24
1 The Ganga in Mythologies 26
The Legend 26
2 The Real Ganga In India and Bangladesh 30
Tributaries and Diversions 34
3 The Ganga Geology 40
The Ganga Basin 40
Formation of a Delta 42
Major Changes Since 16th Century 46
4 The Ganga's Hydrology 47
Seasonal Distribution 49
5 The Ganga Morphology 59
Bank Erosion and Flood Control 68
6 Decline of Bhagirathi-Hooghly Channel 84
Causes and Extent of Deterioration 89
River Below Offtake 96
7 Only a Barrage Can Save 101
Captain Sherwills View 101
View of W. A. Lee 102
The Hooghly River Commission 103
View of H. Leonard 103
View of L. F. Vernon Harcourt 104
View of H. G. Reaks 104
Government Survey 105
Minimum Upland Discharge 107
Views of Indian Experts 114
View of Dr. J. J. Dronkers 115
Farakka Barrage Project 117
Effects of the Partition 118
Construction of the Barrage and the Canal 118
Problems Faced and Overcome 120
8 Inconsistency, or A Conspiracy? 129
Effects of Reduced Discharge 137
Probable Causes of Reduction 138
Distribution of Total Flow of the Ganga at Farakka 139
Reduction of Discharge 142
Rebuttal 144
9 Turmoil Over Water Diversion 154
History of the Conflict 154
10 Agreements MOUs 169
Discussion on the Agreement 170
MOUs of 1982 and 1985 176
Discussion on MOUs 177
Political Instability 177
Effects of the Agreement on India 181
Effect on Bangladesh 190
Salinity Intrusion 192
Irrigation Problems and Fall in Crop Yield 192
Impact on Aquatic Life 193
Effect on Navigation 193
Impact on Forestry 193
Impact on Industry 194
Effects on Health and Ecology 194
Ben Crows Assessment 195
Augmentation Schemes Ignored 201
Indias Proposal 203
Bangladeshs Proposal 205
Views of Bangladesh on Indias Proposal 206
Indias Reply 207
The Two Proposals in prism 208
Developments after 1982 214
Developments between 1988 and 1996 219
Thirty-Year Treaty on Water-Sharing 221
Other Reactions 224
Reactions in Bangladesh 225
After the Treaty (1997 to 2001) 225
Diversions from Farakka Barrage 227
11 What Went Wrong? 240
12 Chronology of Events 249
Deterioration of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly 249
Suggestions etc. for Resuscitation of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly 251
i) Before India's Independence 251
ii) After India's Independence 252
iii) Adverse Views 253
Construction of Farakka Barrage 254
Negotiations on Sharing and Augmentation of the Ganga Water 254
i) With Pakistan (1961--1971) 256
ii) With Bangladesh (1971--1977) 256
Signing of Agreement, MOUs and Treaty, 19772000 258
13 The Ganga Basin Management 264
The First Law 264
Helsinki Rules 264
International River Basin Co-operation 266
International Organisations 271
River Basin Organizations 271
Global and Regional Organizations 272
International Organizations and Treaties 274
Indus River Treaty 274
Inter-State River Basin Organization in India 277
Discussion 278
14 Necessity of Regional Co-operation 283
The Ganga 283
The Brahmaputra 288
The Meghna 289
15 My Views 299
The Ganga Basin 299
Necessity of the Barrage and its Effects 302
Interlinking the Ganga and the Brahmaputra 309
Diversions 311
Regional Cooperation 312
Farakka Barrage and Bank Erosion 314
Bank Erosion 318
Siltation, Erosion and Flood 323
Expert Committee Recommendations 326
Short Term Measures 327
Long-Term Measures 328
Measures Adopted 328
Reasons for Erosion 329
Measures Adopted and Their Performance 331
Design Criteria 333
Flood and Siltation 338
Conclusion 340
About the Author 343
Appendix A 345
Appendix B 348
Appendix C 354
Appendix D 356
Appendix E 360
Bibliography 373
Bengali 376
Newspaper Reports 326
English 376
Bengali 377
Colour Plates 378
Maps 391
Index 395