• The Brahmaputra means “son of Brahma.”
• Source of Brahmaputra River – Its source is the Chemayungdung glacier in southwestern Tibet, close to the sources of Indus and Satluj.
• Mariam La separates its source from the Manasarovar Lake.
• Brahmaputra River System – It passes through the depression formed by the Indus-Tsangpo Structure Zone in Tibet.
• Despite its high altitude, the Tsangpo has a gentle slope and a wide navigable channel for about 640 km.
• Brahmaputra River Length – receives many tributaries in Tibet, the first major one being the Raga Tsangpo.
• It flows across southern Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River, breaks through the Himalayas in great gorges, and enters Arunachal Pradesh where it’s known as Dihang.
• Just west of the town of Sadiya, it is joined by two mountain streams, the Lohit and the Dibang, and is then known as the Brahmaputra.
• Brahmaputra River Flows Through Which States – It flows through Bangladesh as the Jamuna and merges with the Ganga to form the Sunderbans delta.
• Brahmaputra River Tributaries – The biggest and smallest river islands in the world, Majuli and Umananda respectively, are in the river in the state of Assam.
• Important Urban Centers Along the Brahmaputra River- Dibrugarh, Pasighat, Neamati, Tezpur, and Guwahati are important urban centers along the river.

Region	Name
Tibet	Tsangpo (meaning ‘The Purifier’)
China	Yarlung Zangbo Jiangin
Assam Valley	Dihang or Siong, South of Sadiya: Brahmaputra
Bangladesh	Jamuna River
Bangladesh	Padma River: Combined Waters of Ganga and Brahmaputra
Bangladesh	Meghana: From the confluence of Padma and Meghna

Major Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River

Left Bank Tributaries of Brahmaputra River

Some of the main rivers joining the Brahmaputra from the left are

• Lhasa River
• Nyang River
• Parlung Zangbo River
• Lohit River
• Dhanashri River
• Kolong River

Lohit River

• Originates in eastern Tibet.
• Flows through the Mishmi hills to meet the Siang at the head of Brahmaputra valley.
• The valley of Lohit is thickly forested, covered with alpine and sub-tropical vegetation.
• A large variety of medicinal plants are also found here.

Dhansiri River

• Main river of Golaghat District of Assam and Dimapur District of Nagaland.
• Originates from Nagaland.
• Numerous perennially waterlogged swampy regions associated with this river.

Right Bank Tributaries of Brahmaputra River

Some of the main rivers joining the Brahmaputra from the right are:

• Subansiri River
• Kameng River
• Manas River
• Beki River
• Raidak River
• Jaldhaka River
• Teesta River

Subansiri River

• Subansiri River is also called as Gold River as it is famous for its gold dust.
• It flows through the Lower Subansiri District in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Subansari, a swift river offers excellent kayaking opportunities.

Kameng River

• Kameng River originates in Tawang district in the eastern Himalayan mountains.
• It flows through West Kameng District in Arunachal Pradesh and Sonitpur District in Assam.
• The river forms the boundary between East Kameng District and West Kameng Districts.
• Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park are located near the Kameng River.

Manas River

• The Manas River flows through southern Bhutan and India.
• It is 376 km long, with 272 km in Bhutan and 104 km in Assam.
• The river meets the Brahmaputra River at Jogighopa.
• The area around the river has two major forest reserves: Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary in India.

Sankosh River

• It rises in northern Bhutan and empties into the Brahmaputra in the state of Assam
• The upper catchment of the river is glaciated. The middle and the lower courses flow along V-shaped valleys that have been carved by running water
• The entire catchment of the river is covered with forests.

Teesta River

• Originates from Tso Lhamo lake in North Sikkim, Himalayas
• Rangeet River is its major tributary and largest river in Sikkim
• Rangeet river joins Teesta river at Tribeni
• Flows past Rangpo forming border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar
• Flows through Jalpaiguri before reaching Rangpur District, Bangladesh
• Merges with the Brahmaputra river

Dibang River

• The Dibang River is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• It originates from the southern slope of the Himalayas near the Tibet border at an altitude of over 5000m.
• The river enters the plains near Nizamghat in the Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The upper course of the Dibang River is located in the Mishmi hills.

Kopili River:

• Interstate river in Northeast India that flows through the states of Meghalaya and Assam.
• Largest south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra in Assam.
• Carissa Kopilii (Plant Species) is distributed sparsely along the Kopili riverbed.
• The plant is threatened by a hydroelectric project on the river and water turned acidic because of coal mining in Meghalaya upstream.

Siyom River

1. Right tributary of the Brahmaputra.
2. Rises on the south of the main ridge of the Assam Himalaya near the Tibet border.
3. Mouling National Park is located on the east bank of the river.
4. Flows initially in a southerly direction, later in an easterly and southerly direction through the West Siang District.
5. Saje River is the most prominent among its several tributaries.
6. Siyom Bridge:
   • State-of-the-art 100-meter long, Class 70 Steel Arch Superstructure over Siyom River in Arunachal Pradesh.
   • Holds great strategic significance in tackling China as it serves as a gateway to sensitive areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.

Important cities on Brahmaputra

Major River Valley Projects/Dams/Barrages associated with the Brahmaputra river system-

1. In the state of Arunachal Pradesh-
   • Tawang Hydel Power Project
   • Subansiri Lower Hydel Power Project
   • Ranganadi Hydel Power Project
   • Paki Hydel Power Project
   • Papumpap Hydel Power Project
   • Dhinkrong Hydel Power Project
   • Upper Lohit Hydel Power Project
   • Damway Hydel Power Project
   • Kameng Hydel Power Project
2. In the state of Sikkim-
   • Rangit Hydel Power Project
   • Teesta Hydel Power Project
3. In the state of Assam-
   • Kopli Hydel Power Project
4. In the state of Meghalaya-
   • New Umtru Hydel Power Project
5. In the state of Nagaland-
   • Doyang Hydel Power Project
6. In the state of Manipur-
   • Loktak Hydel Power Project
   • Tipaimukh Hydel Power Project
7. In the state of Mizoram-
   • Tuibai Hydel Power Project
   • Tuirial Hydel Power Project
   • Dhaleshwari Hydel Power Project