CHAPTER-I

INTRODUCTION
PROLOGUE: Present research work concerns a study on the aspects of
environmental appraisal of the Kaljani River Basin. The Kaljani River is major
tributary of the Torsha River, which belongs to the mighty river of the
Brahmaputra basin. The Kaljani forms a sub- basin of the Torsha, which again
constitute a distinct part of the Brahmaputra basin.
The Kaljani sub - basin henceforth would be called as the Kaljani basin by this
researcher for the purpose of the analysis of the environmental appraisal as
above applied geographical point of view. This author has identified three
blocks namely Kalchini, Alipurduar-I and Alipurduar-II for a detailed analysis
of the major components of the both physical and cultural from geographical
point of view. She has considered the distinct variables like landform, drainage
patterns along with landform and landuse and so on of the Kaljani basin.
Particular emphasis has been given on the investigation of the landscapes etc as
discussed in the research work.
The Kaljani river basin has negotiated the undulating Bhutan Himalaya terrain
with the alluvial fans and the terai plain downstream thus covering both the
‘Bhabar’ and the continuous plains of ‘Terai’ downhill. The Kaljani River meets
with the Torsha. After a journey about 80 kms entering into the Bangladesh thus
ultimately meets with the Brahmaputra.
MAIN OBSERVATION: It is an example of polycyclic drainage basin with
several evidences of the occurrence of breaks in the evolution periods primarily
due to the tectonic movements under the humid environmental. (Average
Annual rainfall 4000 mm.)
Thus river valley is dynamic in character, which has been established by the
occurrences of atleast seven times shifting of these courses in response to the
combined effects of floods and the tectonics.

1
From the applied fluvial geomorphological sense this basin is very rich in
resources like mineral resources (Dolomite, Limestone etc.), forest resources,
water resources, human resources and aesthetic resource and so on. The most
important Industry of the basin area is known as tea industry followed by the
timber and tourism. The rational utilization these valuable resources are
believed to be responsible for the socio economic development of the basin area
in near future.
The area under study being situated in the scismotechtonically unstable foothill
terrain (Bhutan Himalaya) has produced an array of magnificent landscapes
both physical & cultural involving multiple cycles of fluvial erosions. It is also
marked by the occurrences of several environmental hazards e.g flood,
landslides, and riverbank erosions, shifting of the channels, soil erosion
including the accelerated soil erosion in response to the neotechtonic
movements as well as anthropogenic interference.
Environmental Geography includes both the natural and cultural components of
environment and is helpful to establish a relationship between man and
environment. Proper and systematic assessment of the environment is a
prerequisite for any type of land use Planning. An analysis on the potentiality of
land of the Kaljani Basin depends primarily on its physical & cultural
environmental aspects have exerted much influence in the development of the
varied land use patterns like agriculture, forest, settlement etc.
AREA AND LOCATION: The Kaljani river basin is situated in the Eastern
and North Eastern part of Jalpaiguri and Kochbihar district in West Bengal (Fig
No.I.l). The present author has been given more emphasis on the investigation
of the Jalpaiguri district. This area covers with three blocks namely 1) Kalchini
2) Alipurduar-I 3) Alipurduar-H extending from 26° 27' - 26 0 51’ 20” N
latitude and 89°23’29” E - 89° 42’ E longitude in Jalpaiguri district (Fig.No.1.3,
1.4,1.5). Total catchment area of Kaljani River is about 564 sq km. Total length
of the river is 140 km. Joygaon and Falakata blocks of Jalpaiguri district from

2
 KALJAN1 RIVER BASIN OF WEST BENGAL

FIG. NO. 1.1 MAP SHOWS THE KALJANI RIVER BASIN OF WEST BENGAL
SOURCE: LANDSATTHEMATIC MAPPER IMAGE, 1990

PLATE NO. I. 1
PLATE NO. I. 2
KALJANI RIVER IN THE UPPER COURSE KALJANI RIVER IN THE LOW ERCOLRSE I AT AI.lPlIRDHARl
 LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA

86 30^ 89 30 'E
72'e\
__ 27° N
INDIA
32c' 30 II
.<■ 32 3

WEST BENGAL
kilometers 0 75

t NEPAL

/
1
1
---- ) 1
■v
j /

M
u
BAY OF BENGAL
ARABIAN SEA

- 12 II 12 111

-22 N ^ aM
88 E W7
72 °E 84 '-'jo/ £

89 u E

JAYOAOII
BLOCK

-26 05 N

FIG. NO.1.2 MAP SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA

SOURCE: CENSUS OF INDIA. 2001

West, Bhutan from North, Kochbihar district of West Bengal from South and
Kumargram block of Jalpaiguri district from East flank this area (Fig.No.L2).
Table No.I.f Name of the Gram Panchavets

Block Name of the Gram Panchayets

Kalchini Chuapara, Kalchini, Garopara, Satali, Mendabari, Latabari
Alipurduar-I Tapshikhata, Banchukamari, Pararpar, Vivekananda-I,
Vivekananda-II, Mathura, Salkumar-I
Alipurduar-II Chaprararpar-I, Chaprararpar-II, Tatpara-I, Turturi,
Samuktala
Source: NRDDC, Jalpaiguri
Locally the area is very well known as “Duars”. There is one duar namely Buxa
or Pashakha in the study area, a total of 18 Duars. The study area is under
Alipurduar subdivision. There are twenty -seven mouza in the Kalchini block,
eighteen mouza in Alipurduar-I block and thirty- eight mouza in Alipurduar-II
block (under the study area) (Fig. No.1.6).
The entire study area is drained by number of perennial and non- perennial
rivers. The northern part lies adjacent to the foothills of Bhutan Himalaya,
which is surrounded by piedmont zone, a series of alluvial fans and flood plains
along the main river Kaljani (Plate No.I.l) including its tributary valleys down
stream extended from the elevated rugged mountainous terrain down hills in
terms as incised meanders, multi tier terraces, dissected mountains hill slope,
wide flood plains, large scale alluvial fans etc. The entire region is marked by
immense geomorphic significance and huge land use potential especially the
northern most and southern part, which at present is the most agriculturally rich
area.
OBJECTIVES: To primary objectives of this research work is to study the
physical and cultural components of Kaljani river basin and their impact on land

3
FIG. NO. 1.3 C. D. BLOCK KALCHIN1

FIG. NO. 1.5 C. D. BLOCK ALIPLRDUAR -II

SOURCE: CENSUS, 2001
 Blockwise Mauza Distribution Map Study Area
(Part of Kalchini. Alipurduar I & II), Westbengal
Kalchini Alipurduar-ll
Mouza J.LNo Mouza J.L No
Rangamati T.g 30 Chalnipak 64
Butri forest 31 Chandijhar 63
Radharani T.g 32 Paschim Barachouki 65
Chuapara T.g 33 Chaprarapar 54
Buxa hill forest 44 Chengpara 53
Buxa forest(Panbari Khanda 45 Bhelukdabri 62
Buxa forestRajabhatkhawa 43 DKMajherdabri 55
Bhatpara T.g 36 Sobhaganj(CT)
Mechpara T.g 35 Uttar Majherdabri 61
Chuapara 34 D. Pamalguri 60
Kalchini T.g 37 U. Pamalguri 59
Gangutia T.G 38 U. Dhalkar 79
Dima T.g 39 D. dhalkar 77
Bhatkhawa T.G 40 Bhasadabri 76
Atiabari T.g 41 Putimari 75
Gabur Bacchra forest 29 Salsalabari 73
Uttar Latabari(CT) Karjjipara 69
Purba Satali 15 Bindipara 70
Satali Nakadala 8 Karipara 71
Dakshin Latabari 13 Khatpara 72
Nimtidomoham 12 Kayakhata 74
Nimtijhora T.G 11 Dk Shibkata 78
UttarMandabari 9 Jasodanga 84
Dk Mandabari 10 Pukuna 83
Satali Mandalpara 16 Baniagaon 103
Madhu T.g 18 Madhya Sibkata 82
Rajabhat T.g 42 Srinathpur t.g 81
U. Shibkata 80
Jaypur 105
Purba Jitpur 106
Alipurduar-I Baniadabri 104
Mouza Sambalpur 107
J.LNo
Dakshin Barajhar R.F Dangi 109
12
Uttar Paitkapara Simlabari 111
38
Panbari 110
Madhya Paitkapara 37
Uttar Chakoakheti 36 Damsibad 112
Nao thoartari Turturi 114
35
Dk.Paitkapara Nurpur 113
33
Paitkapara T.G 39
Foskadanga 40
Chapatali 43
Pararpar 44
Satkodali 41
Banhchukaman 42
Birpara 45
Bairiguri 47
Ghagra(P) 46
Paschim majherdabri T.G 48
Purba majherdabri t,g 58
Bholardabri 56

FIG. NO. 1.6 BLOCK WISE MOUZA DISTRIBUTION MAP

SOURCE: CENSUS, KOLKATA
use with special emphasis on land use planning in terms of the land potentiality
and so on. This also includes for further investigation-
1) The present environmental status (physical & cultural) of the study area.
2) Preparation of detailed land use map with changing pattern of 1990 and 2010
in three levels i.e Macro (the entire basin area), Meso (block level), and
Micro (mouza). The procurement of the detailed study is done on the help of
modern techniques, satellite imageries and intensive fieldwork.
3) Detailed study on water resource management and development of irrigation
systems of the study area.
4) Study on demographic structure and economic sustainability of the study
area.
5) To show the impact of environmental variables on land use and land
potentiality for an optimum land use planning concerning mainly agro based
activity.
6) To show the life style of tribal community (mainly Drukpa, Rava, Garo etc.)
7) Impact of environmental hazards like flood, soil erosion, sedimentation,
riverbank erosion etc on human life.
The present worker has also made an attempt to find out the changing pattern
of land utilization and other resource development of the entire study area
during the last few years both qualitatively and quantitatively.
METHODOLOGY:-
The present research work is based on the application of modem as well as
conventional methodology with intensive fieldwork. This includes preparation
of base map from SOI toposheets (76 F/6, 78 F/10, 78 F/ll, 78F/14) collection
of primary and secondary data and analysis of data preparation of final maps
using remote sensing & GIS. The entire work may be divided into three parts
(1) pre fieldwork (2) field work (3) post fieldwork (mukhopadhyay 1980, 82)
i) PRE-FIELDWORK: - includes collection of topographical map from
Survey Of India, geological information from Geological Survey Of India, soil

4
information from NBSS & LUP & AISLUS (ICAR), ground water information
from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Irrigation Department, block maps
collected from the appropriate sources, population data from Census Of India
and the related literature from different sources.

ii) FIELD WORK: - includes growth truth verification collection of data on

the basis of field survey like river discharge, sediment discharge etc. data from
Irrigation Department, landuse information from farmers interview samples like
soil, sediment etc, from selected sites e.g Buxa hill, Alipurduar R.S,
Hamiltongang, Majherdabri T.G. Samuktala, Kalchini centres etc.

iii) POST- FIELD WORK: - includes analysis of samples and data

procured using the appropriate techniques of tabulation, statistical
interpretation, final map preparation using GIS softwares like MAP -Info 9, 21st
century and preparation of final report.

PREVIOUS LITERATURE:
The first physiographic account of this part of North Bengal terrain
adjacent to the Himalayan foothills (Bhutan Himalayan) dates as recent as in
1864 when Chandra (1947) Gansser (1964), Pawde and Patrik (1965), Acharya -
paul (1966), Das gupta- Paul- Ghosh (1967), Saha (1969), Mukhopadhyay
(1978, 82, 99) have described briefly the geological formation some parts of
Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal and Bhutan foothill areas. They have
analyzed the general characteristics of the terrain, valuable minerals, soil, forest,
resources, lithology and other valuable aspects. But all these works have done
separately by individual workers. Therefore, there remains a gap to integrate
these resource maps for the environmental appraisal & to study their impact on
land use and land potential.
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY AREA: The study area is famous for three

5
 T’ likes tea, timber and tourism. The northern part is dissected by number of
streams and influenced by micro faults show totally different land utilization
than the southern part but both patterns of land use have developed on fluvial
environment.

Alipurduar is a sub-divisional municipal town of Jalpaiguri district and is

located at the southern most part of the study area, situated on the left bank of
Kaljani River (Plate No.1.2). The town is a gateway to Bhutan and north-eastern
states of India. The study area in the Dooars region is very well known for its
forest, wildlife, timber and scenic beauty. The most important forest is “Buxa
Tiger Reserve” in the study area. Alipurduar is a very important railway
junction, which connects Kolkata in the south and New Delhi and Guwahati in
the north and east correspondingly. NH31C is the main highway in the study
area. Jainti is known as the queen of Dooars-situated at a distance of just 30
k.m. from Alipurduar. Huge amount of mineral resources (like dolomite,
limestone) are found here.

Very recently there is a sudden rapid growth of agriculture, household industry

and tourism sector. In the northern part of the study area, the newly formed
terraces on the riverbanks (Pana, Basra) are used new agricultural strategies like
Horticulture, Floriculture, Plantation crops (seasonally). In the northern part of
the study area have great impact on the environmental changes and increasing
of flood hazards, earthquakes as well as shifting of the river course. The
southern most part of the study area covering Alipurduar-I and II comprising of
a multi-cropped zone. Natural recourses are abundant but people cannot utilize
scientific and systematic way. Recently social forestry scheme has been taken
by the Forest Department of West Bengal and it is now already implemented.

So the entire study area as a resource full area has great possibilities of
economic and social development.