Padma River

This article is about the river. For other uses, see Padma (disambiguation).

The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা, romanized: Pôdmā) is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for 356 kilometres (221 mi) 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.^[3] Since 1966, over 66,000 hectares of land have been lost to erosion of the Padma.^[4]

The Padma River পদ্মা নদী
Padma River in Bangladesh
Location in Bangladesh
Location
Countries	Bangladesh
Districts	Munshiganj Pabna Manikganj Rajshahi Kushtia Nawabganj Faridpur Madaripur Rajbari Shariatpur Chandpur
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Bifurcation of the Ganges at Giria, India, and The Gangotri Glacier in the middle of Himalayans
Mouth
• location	Lower Meghna
Length	356 km (221 mi)[1]
Basin size	1,487,657.3 km2 (574,387.7 sq mi)[2]
Discharge
• average	(Period: 1971–2000)34,938.1 m3/s (1,233,830 cu ft/s)[2]
• minimum	During dry season 15,000 m3/s (530,000 cu ft/s)
• maximum	During monsoon season 750,000 m3/s (26,000,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Ganges River
Bridges	Padma Bridge Lalon Shah Bridge Hardinge Bridge

A map showing the major rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal, including Padma.

History

Etymology

The Padma, Sanskrit for lotus flower, is mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts as a byname for the Goddess Lakshmi.^[5]

Engine Boat at Padma river

Geographic effects

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:

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.^[6]

Speedboat at Padma River

Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh

Sunset from Padma River

A view of Padma river in summer near Rajshahi

Murshidabad District

Main article: Jalangi River

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.^[7][8] The Jalangi area of the district was seriously affected by river bank erosion of the Padma.^[9]

Sunset from the river Padma during monsoon, Rajpara, Rajshahi

Infrastructure

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.^[10]

Padma Bridge

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.^[11] 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.^[12] In June 2014, the government of Bangladesh, proceeded without the loan and hired a Chinese firm to construct the 6.15-kilometre (3.82 mi) 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.^[13] The final (41st) span of the bridge was installed on the 10th of December 2020.^[14][15] 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.^[16][17]

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.^{[18][needs update]}

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

See also

• Ganges Barrage Project
• Railway stations in Bangladesh