Q163
Geography (incl. West Bengal)Rivers, Lakes, Dams & Water Resources
Farakka Barrage was constructed for the purpose of
- a.supplying irrigation water in the lower deltaic plains.
- b.generation of hydro-electricity.
- c.water treaty between India and Bangladesh.
- d.navigation in the Hooghly channel.
Answer: (D) navigation in the Hooghly channel.
The Farakka Barrage on the Ganga in Murshidabad district, commissioned in 1975, diverts water through a feeder canal into the Bhagirathi–Hooghly to flush out silt and keep the channel navigable for Kolkata port. The sharing of Ganga water at Farakka led to the India–Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty of 1996, a 30-year agreement, which makes (C) the tempting option; but the treaty was a result of the barrage, not its purpose. The barrage was not built for hydro-electricity. Irrigation of the deltaic plains was not its aim either.