Padma River
General Information of the Padma River
The Padma is the most dynamic river in Bangladesh. The length of the river is about 100km. It originated from Paturia and its outfalls with the Upper Meghna River. It is a braided river. Padma carries the combined flow of the Jamuna and the Ganges Rivers. The river planform is different than the rivers in the southwest region of Bangladesh. For example, Pasur, Shibsa, Baleswar, etc.
Channel Incidence Frequency
A channel incidence map is very important to assess the frequency of the channel for a particular given period. The frequency of the channel incidence map in the last 49 years from 1973 to 2022 shows that the presence of the channel was high at Paturia, Daulatdia, Mawa and Naria locations. The percentage of incidence ranges from 90 to 100 percent.
Moreover, it is very prominent that the channel incidence frequency of the Upper Meghna River is 100%. This reveals that the existence of the channel at the same position in the last five decades. While the main channel of the Padma River is not fixed at a particular direction or along the fixed bank. Rather it shifts either along the left or right bank.
Padma River - Freshwater Provider
River provides fresh water to the Lower Meghna River which eventually distributes it to the Meghna estuary and the Sundarbans in the south-central region of Bangladesh. This helps to reduce the salinity level of the river which is good for the aquatic life that is sensitive to the saline water.