Agreements & MOUs - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 159

Table 10.6 Annual quantum of dredging in the Hooghly river below Calcutta

Dredging between
Calcutta and Hooghly
point (Mm 3 )

Dredging at Balari
bar (Mm 3 ) Year Remarks

1 2 3 4

1972-1973 1.92 0.30 Pre-barrage period

1973-1974 2.20 0.62 Do

1974-1975 1.12 1.53 Do

1975-1976 1.43 1.39 Post-barrage period

1976-1977 0.88 2.03 (Water released in feeder

canal from April, 1975)

1977-1978 0.84 2.48 Post-agreement

Period 1978-1979

1979-1980

0.48
0.57

0.79
2.22

1980-1981 0.42 1.68

1981-1982 0.46 2.62

1982-1983 0.21 2.82

1983-1984 0.41 2.42

1984-1985 0.38 1.61

1985-1986 0.36 2.66

1986-1987 0.28 3.33

1987-1988 0.56 1.07

experts could not be implemented owing to the signing of the Agreement in 1977.
The assured quantity of water could flow in the lean season only for two years -
1976 and 1977 - which was not sufficient to bring about anticipated morphological
changes. The quantum of dredging in the Hooghly below Calcutta Port is shown in
the Table 10.6.
Table 10.6 shows, how in the pre-Barrage period, the dredging between Calcutta
and Hooghly Point in 1972-1973 and 1974-1975 was much more than in the lower
reach over the Balari Bar, this was reversed in the post-Barrage period. Dredging
below Calcutta up to the Sandheads in pre-barrage days from 1946 to 1963 con-
stantly increased. Below the Hooghly Point, sea-going vessels from Calcutta and
Haldia harbour had to negotiate six major bars (their distances from Calcutta port
in brackets), namely Balari (88 km), Jellingham (108 km), Rangafalla (115 km),
Aucland (130 km), Middleton (158) and Gasper (172 km).
Experts believed, the release of 40,000 cusecs of water from Farakka Barrage
could clear the entire river reach up to Haldia Port area, which is about 90 km from
Calcutta port. Some experts recommended 46,000-55,000 cusecs to keep a safe mar-
gin. However, induction of 40,000 cusecs of water from June, 1975 upto December,
1977 could show some increase by way of silt removal in the river and improvement
in the navigation channel had started. But after the signing of agreement in 1977 and
implementation of the same from 1978 lean season, the gradual improvement in the
navigation channel got a setback and the silts could move downwards from port area
of Calcutta up to Hooghly point (upper estuary), started dropping over the Balari bar