| The Padma River পদ্মা নদী | |
|---|---|
 Padma River in Bangladesh | |
 Location in Bangladesh | |
| Location | |
| Countries | Bangladesh,India |
| Districts | India:MurshidabadBangladesh: |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Bifurcation of theGanges atGiria, 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 mi2)[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 | Duringmonsoon 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 |
ThePadma (Bengali:পদ্মা,romanized: Pôdmā) is a major river inBangladesh. It is the eastern and maindistributary of theGanges, flowing generally southeast for 356 kilometres (221 mi) to its confluence with theMeghna River, near theBay of Bengal.[1] The city ofRajshahi 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,Sanskrit forlotus flower, is mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts as a byname for the GoddessLakshmi.[5] There is also a narration of Lakshmi’s connection to this river told in theTripura Rahasya.
Eighteenth-century geographerJames 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]
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Murshidabad District is situated on the western bank of the Padma. It flows dividing the Rajshahi andMurshidabad District ofWest Bengal and created a natural river border between India and Bangladesh.[7][8] TheJalangi area of the district was seriously affected byriver bank erosion of the Padma.[9]
After the construction of theFarakka Barrage on the Ganges River inWest 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 theSundarbans.[10]
ThePadma 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, theWorld 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]
In 2009, government plans also included rail lines on both sides of the Padma with a connection via the new bridge.[18][needs update]
TheLalon Shah Bridge andHardinge Bridge also crosses the Padma further upstream.
