Aquifer Characteristics of the Intake Wells on Damodar River near Raniganj, West Bengal, India

Abstract Anthropogenic interventions in the form of dams and barrages often alter the fluvial functionality and ecogeomorphological (geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology) behaviour of the river systems. The present work examines the environmental flow, channel metamorphosis, and fluvial functionality of Damodar River in the context of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams and development. The structural (dams, barrages, weirs, etc.) and non-structural (urban-industrial and agricultural disposal with effluents, sand mining, etc.) interventions hinder the ecological functionality of the river. This study portrays that the eco-geomorphological behaviour and fluvial functionality of the river have changed due to flow alteration and diversion by dams and barrages and due to the urban-industrial and agricultural growth in the basin area. These changes have affected riverine ecological integrity. The ecological functionality level of this study area ranges from 85 to 181 i.e. poor to good-fair. The ecological functionality level in sample channel sections (i.e., immediate upstream and downstream of Durgapur Barrage) is poor, and the value ranges from 61 to 100 due to the hydrological impact of the barrage and the Durgapur urban-industrial belt. This assessment work would help to restore the fluvial environment for humans as well as riverine biota.

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A Mathematical Modelling System for Flood Forecasting

Hydrology Research ◽

10.2166/nh.1984.0027 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 15 (4-5) ◽

pp. 305-316 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

T. Jønch-Clausen ◽

J. Chr. Refsgaard

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Modelling ◽

Real Time ◽

West Bengal ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Flood Routing ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Reservoir Operations ◽

River Catchment ◽

Damodar River ◽

Modelling System

In this paper comprehensive simulation models are presented which can forecast the streamflow in real time at various points in river systems and provide a tool for identifying improvements of the reservoir operations during flood situations while taking into consideration the conditions downstream. The mathematical modelling has involved rainfall-runoff predictions as well as flood routing. The application of the modelling system to a part of the 22,000 square kilometres Damodar River Catchment located in Bihar and West Bengal in India, is described.

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Dam-induced changes in flood hydrology and flood frequency of tropical river: a study in Damodar River of West Bengal, India

Arabian Journal of Geosciences ◽

10.1007/s12517-015-2046-6 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sandipan Ghosh ◽

Sanat Kumar Guchhait

Keyword(s):

West Bengal ◽

Flood Frequency ◽

Tropical River ◽

Damodar River ◽

Flood Hydrology ◽

Induced Changes

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Geographic Concerns on Flood Climate and Flood Hydrology in Monsoon-Dominated Damodar River Basin, Eastern India

Geography Journal ◽

10.1155/2015/486740 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sandipan Ghosh ◽

Biswaranjan Mistri

Keyword(s):

Carrying Capacity ◽

West Bengal ◽

Extreme Rainfall ◽

Regulation System ◽

Gangetic Plain ◽

Existing Problems ◽

Damodar Valley ◽

Prolonged Duration ◽

Damodar River ◽

Damodar River Basin

In the Lower Gangetic Plain of West Bengal, the furious monsoon flood of Damodar River is a recurrent hydrometeorological phenomenon which is now intensified by the human activities. At present, the flood regulation system of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) is not capable of managing gigantic inflow water (which appeared as surface runoff and channel flow) coming from the wide fan-shaped upper catchment of Damodar River. As a result, the lower basin of Damodar (covering Barddhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah districts of West Bengal) annually experiences low to high magnitude of floods and overflow condition because the existing canal system, streams, palaeochannels, and Damodar River itself have lost their former carrying capacity to accommodate all excess water within its active domain due to over siltation and drainage congestion. So when the DVC dams are not able to regulate flood flow, then extreme rainfall of prolonged duration over the basin turns the normal situation into devastating flood, like the years of 1978 and 2000 in West Bengal. Identifying the existing problems of lower Damodar River, this paper principally tries to assess the potentiality of flood climate and to estimate the contributing rainfall-runoff, peak discharge, and existing carrying capacity of river in relation to increasing flood risk of lower basin using the quantitative hydrologic expressions.

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The faded stripes of Bengal: a historical perspective on the easternmost distribution of the striped hyena

European Journal of Wildlife Research ◽

10.1007/s10344-021-01552-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Muntasir Akash ◽

Arjun Dheer ◽

Stephanie M. Dloniak ◽

Andrew P. Jacobson

Keyword(s):

West Bengal ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Historical Evidence ◽

The Past ◽

South Central ◽

Indian State ◽

Damodar River ◽

Striped Hyena ◽

Hyaena Hyaena ◽

Historical Range

AbstractThe striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is an understudied large carnivore with no known historic range map. Knowledge of the past and present extent of its easternmost distribution beyond 85° east longitude is dubious. Through a comprehensive review of historical evidence and contemporary records, we investigated striped hyena presence in Bengal, i.e., Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal in South Asia. We found 14 historical records, with the oldest one dating to 1876. Our review establishes Bangladesh as a former striped hyena range country and the striped hyena as one of the first large carnivores to go extinct in Bangladesh. We identified northern Bangladesh as part of its historical range (until ~1965), and south-central Bangladesh as a possible part of its historical range. In West Bengal, India, hyenas were historically present up to the southern tributaries of the Brahmaputra River, but the present range is reduced. The area south of the Damodar River is its last refuge in Bengal. We also found 15 contemporary records (2010–2021) in Bengal, from sites situated on the eastern limit of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. These records noted 25 sightings including 9 deaths due to poaching, train accidents, and retaliatory killings. Our review demonstrates that hyenas are currently present up to 87° east longitude, which extends the currently documented easternmost range for the species by almost 1,000 km. We recommend methods which can be applied to delineate the historical extent of striped hyenas elsewhere as well as for other poorly understood species.

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