Environmental Morphodynamics of Rupnarayan River

The confluence of the Rupnarayan River is located in between the other two river estuaries at a distance of only a few kilometers. The other two river estuaries Damodar and Haldi lie to the north and south respectively of the Rupnarayan which outfall into the Hooghly River. The water of these river estuaries enters and mixes with the water of Rupnarayan River at high tide. Effluents released from Kolaghat thermal power plant and wastewater released from Haldia industrial area mixes with the tidal water of Rupnarayan River which pollutes the river water. Sewage discharges from Haldia, Tamluk and Kolaghat municipalities mixed with the waters of Rupnarayan and became unusable most part of the year. Apart from such pollution, the water of Rupnarayan is now slightly saline for increasing water salinity in the lower reaches of Hooghly River due to sea level rise. Consequent upon the existence of low salinity in estuarine water, abundant occurrence of giant prawn broods in the confluence has changed the socioeconomic pattern in the localities of three districts surrounding the Rupnarayan River.