The Tista River (also known as the Teesta River) is referred to as the lifeline of the state of Sikkim in India. The itinerary of the river spans almost the whole length of the state. The Tista River plays a key role in forming the lush green humid and moderate river basins of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is also the most beautiful river in Sikkim and one of the important rivers in Bangladesh .
About the Tista River
The Tista River is famous for its emerald green waters. Prior to meeting the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh as a tributary, the Tista River forms the boundary between West Bengal and Sikkim. The river is 196 miles (315) km long. About 115 km of its stretch is situated in Bangladesh. The average monthly flow of the river is approximately 2,430 cumec and the catchment area of the river on the mountains is only 12,500 sq km.
Itinerary of Tista River
The Tista River has its source in the Cholamo Lake in Northern Sikkim at an altitude of 5,330 meters (17,487 feet) over sea surface in the Himalayan mountain ranges. The Cholamo Lake is situated on the north of the Donkia Pass close to Shetschen, in which place the peak of the pass is around 8 km northeast of the Darjeeling district.
Subsequently, the Tista River is supplied by streams that originate from the Yumthang, Thangu, and Donkia-La mountain ranges. Then river then moves across the Rangpo town where it creates the frontier between Sikkim and West Bengal until it reaches Tista Bazaar. Just beneath the Tista Bridge, which connects Darjeeling with Kalimpong, the Tista River joins its major tributary, the Rangeet River. In this area, the river shifts its itinerary to the south, running into the state of West Bengal. The river meets the terrains at Sevoke, where it is covered by the Coronation Bridge that connects the states of the northeastern India to the other parts of India. Subsequently, the Tista River routes its itinerary to Jalpaiguri and after that the Rangpur district of Bangladesh, prior to ultimately fusing with the powerful Brahmaputra at Fulchori.
A study was conducted by Rennel between 1764 and 1777. The maps drawn by him are one of oldest and genuine maps of Bengal that are presently available. In these maps, Tista has been demonstrated as running through North Bengal in various tributaries – Atrai, Punarbhaba, Karatoya, and others. All these torrents become united with the Mahananda in the lower catchment Basin of the river, and get the name of Hoorsagar. Currently, Mahananda is the westernmost river in North Bengal. Ultimately, they pour into the Ganga at Jafarganj, close to present Goalundo. The Hoorsagar River is still present as the united outlet of the Barai, which is a spill canal of the Ganga, the Jamuneswari or Jamuna (not the central Jamuna through which the Brahmaputra currently runs) and the Karatoya. However, rather than pouring into the Ganges, it pours into the central Jamuna, one or two miles over its meeting point with the Padma at Goalundo.
Dams proposed on Teesta River
A number of Dams have been proposed by the Indian Government on the Teesta River that should manufacture around 50,000 MW of electricity in the forthcoming 10-12 years. With a number of the biggest deposit levels, the formation of a tank will result in a higher stress on an active fault region. Experts are apprehensive that construction of these dams may cause river-stimulated seismicity. In spite of these concerns, the building of the dams had begun.
A number of hydroelectric power projects have been assigned to both private and public sector companies and they are as follows:
| Name of Project Agency | Capacity (MW) | Year of Completion |
| Tista I (North) Himalayan Green Energy Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi | 280 | 2012-13 |
| Tista II (North) Him Urja Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi | 330 | 2011-12 |
| Tista III (North) Teesta Urja Limited, New Delhi | 1,200 | 2011-12 |
| Tista IV (North) NHPC Limited, New Delhi | 495 | 2011-12 |
| Tista V NHPC Limited, New Delhi | 510 | 2006-07 |
| Teesta VI (South) Lanco Energy Pvt. Ltd. | 500 | 2011-12 |
| Panan North Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad | 300 | 2011-12 |
| Lachen North NHPC Ltd., New Delhi | 210 | 2011-12 |
| Rongnichu (East) Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Ltd. | 96 | 2011-12 |
| Rangyong (North) BSCPL-SCL Joint Venture Hyderabad | 117 | 2011-12 |
| Chujachen (East) Gati Infrastructures Ltd. Hyderabad | 99 | 2009-10 |
| Sada Mangder (South) Gati Infrastructures Ltd. Hyderabad | 71 | 2011-12 |
| Rolep (East) Amalgamated Transpower (I) Ltd. New Delhi | 36 | 2009-10 |
| Bhasmey (East) Gati Infrastructures Ltd. Hyderabad | 32 | 2011-12 |
| Chakhungchu (Nrth) Amalgamated Transpower (I) Ltd New Delhi | 50 | 2011-12 |
| Rangit II (West) Sikkim Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai | 60 | 2011-12 |
| Ralong (South) Amalgamated Transpower (I) Ltd. New Delhi | 40 | 2011-12 |
| Rangit IV (West) Jal Power Corporation Ltd. Hyderabad | 120 | 2011-12 |
| Jorethang Loop (South) DANS Energy Pvt. Ltd New Delhi | 96 | 2011-12 |
| Dikchu (North) Sneha Kinetic Power Projects Ltd. Hyderabad | 96 | 2011-12 |
| Thangchi (North) Lachung Power Private Ltd New Delhi | 40 | 2011-12 |
| Lingza (North) SSNR Super Power Private Ltd., Hyderabad | 120 | 2011-12 |
| Bimkyong (North) Teesta Power Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi | 99 | 2011-12 |
| Ting Ting (West) SMEC (India) Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi | 70 | 2011-12 |
| Bop (North) Chungthang Power Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi | 90 | 2011-12 |
| Tashiding (West) Shiga Energy Pvt. Ltd. | 60 | 2011-12 |
| Rateychu-Bakchachu (North) Coastal Projects Pvt. Ltd | 40 | 2010-11 |
The projected hydroelectric power locations on the rivers in Sikkim are anticipated to generate more than 5.0 gigawatts of capacity.
Tista Bazaar or Teesta Bazaar
Teesta Bazaar is an important intersection on the Siliguri-Gangtok highway on National Highway 31A of West Bengal in India. The area is lying on the right riverbank of Teesta River. Moving upstream on the right riverbank from Siliguri, the way moves in the direction of Darjeeling. The Tista River gets traversed here by the Teesta Suspension Bridge. An intersection, 3 km (2 miles) before on the same main road, divides from the key way to Kalimpong. Teesta Bazaar is situated four km (2.5 miles) downriver from the industrial settlement of Melli.
Geography of Teesta Bazaar
Teesta Bazaar is situated between the coordinates 27°04′ North 88°26′ East and 27.06° North 88.43° East. The Bazaar is lying at a height of 300 feet (90 m) over the average sea surface. River rafting is a famous adventure sport activity in this area that draws significant numbers of tourists from different places of India and abroad. This is also the area where the Teesta River runs into West Bengal. Majority of the localities surrounding Teesta is guarded by the Indian Army since it falls under a susceptible boundary region.
Rafting Spots on Teesta River
The popular river rafting spots on the river are as follows:
Makha and Rongpo: Rongpo and Makha stretch is probably the smallest stint on the Teesta river. The tour will take about two and a half hours.
Dikchu and Teesta Bridge: This stretch is more extensive and more arduous than Makha and Rongpo tour.
Dikchu and Kali Johra (West Bengal): It is a five-day trip, beginning from Sikkim and finishing in Kali Johra situated in West Bengal.
Bordang and Melli: River rafting amid Borgand and Melli is one more thrilling choice over Teesta River.
Places related with Teesta River
The following places and states are related to the Teesta River in various ways:
- Assam Himalayas (mountains in Asia)
- Asia
- Brahmaputra River (river in Asia)
- Bangladesh
- Jalpaiguri (West Bengal, India)
- India
- Nepal Himalayas (mountains in Asia)
- Mangan (India)
Last Updated on March 13, 2020
