DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2020-2021 MALDA DISTRICT Sri Rajarshri Mitra, District Magistrate & Collector I.A.S. Malda (W.B) Telephone : Office : 03512-252381 Resi : 03512-252415 Fax : 03512-253092 Email :
[email protected] _____________________________________________________________________________ FOREWORD The area enclosed by the district of Malda has historically been affected by the changing course of the rivers, even as its rise was due to being a major reverine port in the first place. Disturbances in the course of Ganga resulted in shifting of capital of the entire Bengal from Gaur (Lakhnauti) to Pandua in 1342 and again from there in mid-15th century when river Mahananda started to veer away from this site. The rivers have given this land fertility and also cursed it by frequent flood and erosion. The unique geological features of this district make it particularly vulnerable. Major part of the district except the eastern blocks covers an adjacent tract of flat lowland between 27 m and 21 m contours sloping gradually from north to south, and is classified into two additional physiographic regions viz the Tal and the Diara. Topographic gradients along the Tal region, consisting of the area defined by Chanchal Sub-Division, are barely existent, at an average of a mere 0.05 degree. Therefore, Ganga is the only fast moving river in this region, with a average gradient of 1:14500. The other minor regional rivers of the Tal barely manage to crawl across the tract at extremely low gradients ranging between 1:21000 and 1:25000 for Mahananda, Tangan and Punarbhava and even lower at 1:31200 for Kalindri.