Barak and Others Basin

The topography, demography, climate, surface and ground water resources, hydro-meteorological and water quality scenario of “Barak and Others” basin is provided below.

Salient features

• The basin covers parts of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• In India it spreads over states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland.
• It is bounded by the Barail range separating it from the Brahmaputra basin on the north, by the Naga and Lushai hills on the east and by Mizo hills and territory of Bangladesh on the south and west.
• The basin constitutes of three sub-basins namely “Barak”, “Kynchiang & other south flowing rivers” and “Naochchara & others”.
• There are total 77 watersheds in the basin.
• In this basin, there are 2,482 waterbodies, majority of the surface waterbodies are lakes and ponds which constitute 51.09 % of the total surface waterbodies and 44.40 % waterbodies constitute aquaculture ponds.
• The ground water fluctuation due to draft is evident. There is a negative fluctuation in the basin with a fall of less than 2 m bgl in ground water level in most parts of the basin.
• The entire basin falls in Eastern Himalayan region of Agro Climatic Zone. The Agro-Ecological region of the basin experiences a Hot Sub humid (moist) to humid (inclusion of per humid) ecoregion with alluvial derived soils and warm per humid eco-region with red and lateritic soils.
• The major part of the basin is covered by forest. In this basin agriculture is the main source of income. Due to the hilly topography terrace farming is common in this region. There are three main crop seasons in the sasin early Kharif, Kharif and Rabi. 
• There are four major dams namely Khoupum Dam, Mawphlang Dam, Gumti Hydro Dam and Myntdu-Leshka Dam. In addition to these dams basin also have three barrages namely Manu Barrage , Maharani Barrage and Chakamghat Barrage. These Dams and barrages are constructed for Drinking water, irrigation and water supply management purpose.
• The basin also has six Medium irrigation projects, these projects benefits Tripura and Manipur states.
• The principal soil types found in the basin is clay, loamy clay, sandy clay, silty clay, Loamy sand, sand, Loam, silt loam, silt, sandy loam and rocky. The extent of loss to the bank erosion varies from year to year depending on the severity of floods in the state.
• There are total 52 Hydro-Meteorology sites in the basin. These stations are established and maintain by CWC for measuring Gauge, Discharge and sediment and water quality including five flood forecast stations.
• A major part of this basin receives annual rainfall more than 2000 mm. The North western and South western parts of the basin receive a higher rainfall ranging from 5000 to 6,000 mm.
• The average annual mean temperature varies from 9.25^o C to 30.66^o C.
• The basin has a good quality of ground water except for some places having high dissolved iron content and very few places affected by low saline water.
• The IWT route through Bangladesh is open for navigation under the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol which facilitates movement of IWT vessels up to Karimganj and Silchar.
• Overall the basin has luxurious climate and blessed with numerous water resources.

Barak River System 

• The Barak river originates from the Manipur hills, south of Mao in Senapati district of Manipur at an elevation of 2,331 m.
• It flows then along Nagaland-Manipur border through hilly terrains and enters Assam. It further enters Bangladesh where it is known by the name of the Surma and the Kushiyara and later called the Meghna before receiving the combined flow of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
• The length of the Barak River from its origin upto the border of Assam along the Kushiyara is 564 km.
• The principal tributaries of Barak joining from north bank are the Jiri, the Chiri, the Modhura, the Jatinga, the Harang, the Kalain and the Gumra whereas the Dhaleswari, the Singla, the Longai, the Sonai and the Katakhal joins from south bank.
• The Barak valley has a geographical area of 6922.00 Sq. Km excluding 2 (two) hill districts. The local rainfall run off of the valley along with that of adjacent hilly areas flows through river Barak and its various tributaries and is drained out to Bangladesh. 

Source:  Hydrology and Water Resources Information System for India