An introduction and current trends of damodar and rupnarayan river network

Abstract

Rivers are the important primary resource of landed community for their primary sustenance. Losses of navigability, gradient fall within a short distance, deltaic formations in lower reaches, anthropogenic actions or manipulations such as construction of embankments and guard walls, silt depositions or encroachment of river beds, monsoon induced changes, etc., can cause a river to die. As per the current status of West Bengal (Eastern part of India) and Jharkhand rivers, the effect of the creation of reservoirs, industrial extractions, and climate change can be observed easily. Damodar and Rupnarayan river systems are two major river networks of eastern India which are one of the major sources of water for irrigation, agriculture, and industrial purposes of the people living in the river banks. The present note tries to give an overview of the current trends, geomorphological characteristics, and economical resources of the two rivers which can give an idea of the impact of vulnerabilities on the natural water resources of the two catchments. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.