In India, the Brahmaputra turns into a wide, strong river that is multiple in its channels, massive in floods and rich in plains and biodiversity. It supports millions of people in the states of the northeast, but it also introduces the annual difficulty of erosion and inundation.
Origin and Course of the Brahmaputra
The Brahmaputra has an amazing course, which is located in the glacial Himalayas and flows for many kilometres to get into the sea.
Source in Tibet
The river is formed at the Chemayungdung Glacier, Tibet, at an altitude of approximately 5,300 meters, close to Mount Kailash. The Yarlung Tsangpo, in Tibet, refers to it. It flows eastward owing to more than 1,600 kilometres before encircling a high plateau area and then makes a sharp southward turn in the Namcha Barwa Gorge, which is one of the deepest gorges in the world.
Course in India
The river is named Siang (or Dihang) after it flows into India via Arunachal Pradesh. It is supplied with tributaries such as Dibang, Lohit and enters Assam to become the enormous Brahmaputra. In the Assamese plain, the river massively expands to form large floodplains and numerous changing channels.
Course in Bangladesh
The River Brahmaputra flows through Assam, and it then enters Bangladesh, where it joins with the River Ganga (Padma River). This united stream is called the Jamuna within Bangladesh, and ultimately empties into the Bay of Bengal through the Sundarbans delta to create the largest deltas on earth.
Length and Basin
The length of the Brahmaputra totals around 2,900 kilometres, stretching over a draining area of almost 580,000 square kilometres in Tibet, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Tributaries of the Brahmaputra
Such volume and power of the Brahmaputra is due to its many tributaries that flow in both the north bank (Himalayan side) and the south bank (hill ranges of Nagaland and Meghalaya).
Northern Tributaries
These rivers have their origins in the high Himalayas, where they bring the melted snow and heavy rainfall. The important ones are:
- Subansiri: This is the largest tributary on the north bank; it rises in Tibet and flows into Assam via Arunachal Pradesh.
- Siang: The predominant release of the Brahmaputra upstream to its meeting Lohit and Dibang.
- Manas: Hails in Bhutan and a very major tributary that supplies the ecosystems of Assam.
- Jia Bhareli, Puthimari and Sankosh: Other tributaries of the north.
Southern Tributaries
The origin of these rivers is the hills of Nagaland, Meghalaya and the lower ranges of Arunachal. They are shorter and are met with the likelihood of flash floods. The key ones are:
- Burhi Dihing: origin in the Patkai hills after entering eastern Assam.
- Dhansiri: The river that arises in the Naga Hills and then flows with the Brahmaputra near Golaghat.
- Kopili: It starts in Meghalaya, and it plays a great role in the agricultural production in Assam.
- Digaru and Kulsi: Smaller tributaries, which drain the Meghalaya Plateau.
Geographical Importance
The Brahmaputra Valley
The Brahmaputra valley is one of the fertile and agriculturally productive zones in India. These floods revitalize the soil once a year, depositing alluvium on the land, and this land is used to grow crops such as rice, jute, and mustard etc.
Islands and Sandbars
Brahmaputra is known to have many islands. The largest and most notable is Majuli, the greatest river island in the world, and Assam, a cultural hub. But Majuli has been in the closing grip of erosion, and the unstable nature of the river has been imminent.
Floodplains and Wetlands
Various wetlands, beels (oxbow lakes) and floodplain ecosystems are provided by the river. It is crucial to the migration of birds and life in water.
Economic Importance
Agriculture
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh's agriculture-based economy is fed by the Brahmaputra. It assists with rice growing, tea farms and cash crops. The rich alluvial lands are also referred to in comparison with the Ganga.
Fisheries
One of the major livelihood activities on the river is fishing. A rich variety of fish species can be found in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, and these fish are involved in local consumption as well as in the trade.
Hydropower
Arunachal Pradesh, which has steep gradient rivers that lead to the Brahmaputra, has gigantic hydropower potential.
Inland Water Transport
Brahmaputra is National Waterway-2. The cargo transportation and passenger ferries, as well as linking to forested islands of the river, happen along its navigable channels. This provides green transport in the region.
Cultural and Religious Importance
Spiritual Heritage
The Brahmaputra plays an important role in the Assamese civilization. Vaishnavite institutions (Satras or monastic establishments) founded by the saint Srimanta Sankardeva are located on the island of Majuli. These monasteries retain classical dance, music and spirituality.
Temples Along the River
On or near the river, the well-known spiritual spots are the Umananda Temple on Peacock Island near Guwahati and the Hajo Pilgrimage Centre.
Festivals
The 12-yearly Brahmaputra Pushkaram festival welcomes devotees and a dip in the Holy River. The flows of the river determine the agricultural least of Bihu in Assam too.
Environmental Challenges
Floods
The most immediate problem is the flooding of Assam annually. Brahmaputra becomes flood-bound and submerges rampant land during the monsoon period, destroying crops and displacing thousands. Although floods are important, given that they make the ground more fertile, their other effects are devastating to livelihoods and infrastructure.
Riverbank Erosion
Due to persistent erosion, Assam's land is being cannibalized. Once a much larger island than it is presently, Majuli lost resort to considerable land in the past century as a result of river-induced changes in course.
Deforestation and Siltation
Heavy siltation has been caused by the increase in soil erosion by way of deforestation of the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam catchment areas. That decreases the depth of a river and enhances the intensity of floods.
Pollution
Cities such as Guwahati secrete untreated sewage into the river. Its water is less prone to any further plastic waste and agricultural runoff as well and industry pollution.
Biodiversity of the Brahmaputra Basin
There are some of the richest ecosystems in the Brahmaputra flows.
- Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is within the flood plains of the Brahmaputra. It has gained its popularity with the one-horned rhinoceros, the elephants, the swamp deer and the migratory birds.
- Manas National Park, located in Assam, is built on tributaries of the Brahmaputra and has its residents of tigers and other rare animals, e.g. golden langur.
- The river is a habitat for the endangered Gangetic river dolphin, whose disappearance offers important signals regarding the health of the given freshwater ecosystem.
Inter-State and Strategic Concerns
The Brahmaputra stretches through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and then enters India. The lack of any significant inter-state water conflict notwithstanding, some conflict pertains to dam building in Arunachal Pradesh. Assam is frequently complaining about the downstream effects of such projects, changed flows and environmental hazards in Arkansas.
The activities of China in Tibet form another dimension. India is also keen on the China dam and water diversion construction efforts in the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the river originates there, and thus construction causes possible downstream implications to the Arunachal and Assam rivers.
Last Updated on : August 20, 2025
