Mayurakshi River: Difference between revisions

In 1978, with 72 hours of heavy rainfall, the floods caused by all rivers from the [[Bansloi River|Bansloi]] to the [[Ajay River|Ajay]]washed away the eastern bank of the [[Hooghly River|Bhairathi]] causing enormous damage in the [[Nadia district|Nadia]], [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] and [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Paganas]] districts. It was followed by floods in 1998, 1999 and 2000. <ref name=‘mayur1’/>

Floods in the Damodar-Ajay-Mayurashi system are well known and affect the lives of people. It must be noted that in addition to the causes noted above, drainage congestion is another reason for the floods. Anthropogenic activities like construction of barrages, embankments and sand mining have an effect on the intensity and frequency of floods, particularly of the Dwaraka, a tributary of the Mayurakshi, which itself is adding to the adverse effects with channel derangement. Flood frequency in the Mayurakshi basin has increased with the construction of the Tilpara barrage. Based on a 75-year old data about rainfall and floods, it is observed that “flood of Lower Mayurakshi River has changed its character from the high magnitude low-frequency event to low magnitude high-frequency event due to controlled river regime by dams and barrages”. <ref name= ‘mayur3’/>