Kolong
Encyclopedia
The Kolong river is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River
, which divert out from the Brahamputra river in Jakhalabandha (Nagaon
district, Assam
, India
), and meets the same at Kolongpar near Guwahati
. The tributary is approx. 250 km in length, and flows through the districts of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup
; on the way, several smaller streams (Diju, Misa and others) meet it. The river flows through the heart of the Nagaon urban area dividing the town into Nagaon and Haiborgaon.
Till the colonial period, the Kolong river and smaller streams feeding the river were the main sources of potable water; and most of the villages got settled on their banks. People had got heartily attached to the river, and as one folktale says, it was just "Kolong" for them, they refused to say it even a river.
In those days, the river created havoc by flooding in the lowland areas in the present Nagaon and Morigaon districts during the rainy season, as it received water not only from the smaller streams, but also from the overflowing Brahamaputra. Sometime in 1960s, a major flood paused a major threat to existence of the Nagaon town itself, which lies in a lowland area. Therefore, the mouth of the river in Jakhalabandha was parmanently closed subsequently, allowing the river to carry the water only from the smaller streams to Brahamaputra. Following this, the threat of flood had disappeared, but due to lack of enough water, specially during the dry winter, the river almost dried to its half; in several places, the river presently looks like a closed pond, water covered with water hyacinth
. Due to lack of current, many sand-sores got formed in and around the river. Its population of flora and fauna also diminished. Several water bodies also had got adversely affected in terms of their flora and fauna.
Numerous fictional and non-fictional, famous and not-so-famous articles, poems etc. has been written taking the river as a main subject/ character. Famous Assamese poet, Late Nabakanta Baruah Nabakanta Barua
had authored a famous novel [Kokadeutar Had: The Bone of (my)Grandfather] fictionalizing the river and its history.
There are several Bihugeets (song sung during Bihu
) and modern Assamese songs also have mention of Kolong.
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
, which divert out from the Brahamputra river in Jakhalabandha (Nagaon
Nagaon
Nagaon , is a medium sized city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated east of Guwahati. An older spelling of the name is Nowgong.It is one of the fastest growing cities of the northeast.-History:...
district, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
), and meets the same at Kolongpar near Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
. The tributary is approx. 250 km in length, and flows through the districts of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup
Kamrup
Kamrup district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India, named after Kamarupa, a name by which Assam was previously known in ancient times. The district, however, is now a small western part of Assam, with a distinctive native Kamrupi culture and dialect . The distinctive...
; on the way, several smaller streams (Diju, Misa and others) meet it. The river flows through the heart of the Nagaon urban area dividing the town into Nagaon and Haiborgaon.
History and cultural influence
Not much is known about the pre-colonial period about the river. In the colonial period, though, the river was known to be widely used for passenger and goods transport, specially because the road and rail network was un-/underdeveloped during that period. That's the reason why the British colonial administration almost established the district head-quarter in Puranigudam, on the bank of the river.Till the colonial period, the Kolong river and smaller streams feeding the river were the main sources of potable water; and most of the villages got settled on their banks. People had got heartily attached to the river, and as one folktale says, it was just "Kolong" for them, they refused to say it even a river.
In those days, the river created havoc by flooding in the lowland areas in the present Nagaon and Morigaon districts during the rainy season, as it received water not only from the smaller streams, but also from the overflowing Brahamaputra. Sometime in 1960s, a major flood paused a major threat to existence of the Nagaon town itself, which lies in a lowland area. Therefore, the mouth of the river in Jakhalabandha was parmanently closed subsequently, allowing the river to carry the water only from the smaller streams to Brahamaputra. Following this, the threat of flood had disappeared, but due to lack of enough water, specially during the dry winter, the river almost dried to its half; in several places, the river presently looks like a closed pond, water covered with water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
. Due to lack of current, many sand-sores got formed in and around the river. Its population of flora and fauna also diminished. Several water bodies also had got adversely affected in terms of their flora and fauna.
Numerous fictional and non-fictional, famous and not-so-famous articles, poems etc. has been written taking the river as a main subject/ character. Famous Assamese poet, Late Nabakanta Baruah Nabakanta Barua
Nabakanta barua
Navakanta Barua , also known as Ekhud Kokaideu, was a prominent Assamese novelist and poet.-Early life and education:...
had authored a famous novel [Kokadeutar Had: The Bone of (my)Grandfather] fictionalizing the river and its history.
There are several Bihugeets (song sung during Bihu
Bihu
Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam and celebrated by the Assamese diaspora around the world. Though they owe their origins to ancient rites and practices they have taken definite urban features and have become popular festivals in urban and commercialized milieus in...
) and modern Assamese songs also have mention of Kolong.