Abstract

Cooch Behar district is a land of many perennial rivers. According to the Kochbihar Royal history „Baniadaha‟ river is a distributary of river Torsa and this channel was the navigational route between Bhetaguri and Bangladesh. But at present, like all other rivers of foothills of North Bengal, it is in critical stage of decay. On the basis of field investigation it has been found that the consequent decay of the channel is due mainly to unscientific discharge of domestic waste, construction of unauthorized culverts and bridges across the river, damping of garbage by the encroachers, rapid sedimentation at the off-take point and the embankments construction activities have finally tolled death knell of the „Baniadaha‟. It ultimately turned into a paleo channel for the south-eastern part of Cooch Behar district. At many places the course has totally dried up. The decay of Baniadaha is now considered to be the main cause for water logging and various types of water borne diseases in the surrounding area of this river. The waterway is already gasping for life with the continuous interruption of human beings causing almost total degeneration of the channel.  The present study endeavors to examine the different causes and consequences of the decay of the Baniadaha channel from its off-take at Boro Atharokotha (26⁰18‟39.08” N, 89⁰ 25‟22.77” E) from the parent river Torsa to confluence at the Dharla River in Bangladesh (25⁰56‟11.44” N, 89⁰31‟49.77” E) and suggests suitable remedial measures for its revival.