The Rivers in Meghalaya

The state of Meghalaya is in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The state is situated on a mountainous plateau with incredible biodiversity. The phrase ‘Meghalaya’ translates to ‘the place of clouds,’ which is true concerning the state’s geographical location. The state’s topography is as follows- It is bounded by a country called Bangladesh in the south and southwest directions and guarded by an Indian state called Assam in the north and northeast directions of the state. The temperature and climate of Meghalaya are quite mild. The northeastern state of Meghalaya gets a total precipitation of about 1,140 cms yearly. This state has many rivers because it gets the heaviest rainfall in the country. Many valleys and canyons are created in this state because of the many rivers and streams that flow out of the Meghalaya plateau. 

Rivers of Meghalaya 

The state of Meghalaya has a lot of rivers. However, many of these river bodies are seasonal and are fed by the rainfall in the state. The state of Meghalaya can be divided into 3 parts based on the location of the rivers.

1. The Garo hills portion: This part of the Meghalaya state predominantly includes Bandra, Simsang, Dareng, Nitai, Bhupai and Ganol rivers.

2. In the eastern and central region of the Meghalaya plateau: The predominant rivers in this area are Umtrew, Digar, Umami (also known as Barapani), Umngi, Mawpa, Umngot, Myntang and Jadukata. 

3. Khasi hills in the south region: The rivers from the eastern and Garo hills form deep canyons and waterfalls in this region.

The predominant rivers of Meghalaya 

1. Digaru River

2. Kopili River

3. Myntdu River

4. Someshwari River

5. Umngot River

Digaru River

• The name of the Digaru river is inspired by the Garo hills, which are situated in the Meghalaya state. This river flows in the northeast direction and then joins with the Kopili river and later connects to the Brahmaputra river. 

• The word Digaru from the Digari river has been taken from the Kachari Mech. 

• The Umtru river is the other name of this river.

• The ‘Di’ in the phrase ‘Digaru’ refers to the water and the phrase ‘Garo’ translates to the people residing in the Garo hills. 

• Therefore, the phrase Digaru is translated to ‘water of Garo’. 

• The three predominant dams constructed across the river of Digaru are Umtru, Kyrdemkulai and Nongkhyllem dams.

Kopili River

• The Kopili river is an interstate river in the northeast part of India. It passes through two predominant states, namely Meghalaya and Assam. 

• It is ranked as the largest south bank branch of the Brahmaputra in Assam.

• The Kopili river is also situated in the river of Meghalaya, which is the biggest river in Meghalaya. 

• The Kopili river has a total course length of 290 km and embodies a catchment area of 16,420 sq. km. 

Myntdu River

• The Myntdu river flows in three directions, excluding the northern area of the town of Meghalaya. 

• Various hydro-power development projects are going on through the Myntdu river in Meghalaya. 

• The valley of Myntdu is constructed by this river and is placed on the borders of the Jowai town. 

• The water of the Myntdu river helps to irrigate the valley of Meghalaya. 

• It falls through the town of Jowai on the way to Leshka. It then flows towards Bangladesh.

• The Myntdu river’s water flows in the south direction of the Meghalaya state.

• The Myntdu river is located in the eastern part of Meghalaya and the central area of the Meghalaya plateau. 

• The citizens of Meghalaya considered this river a blessing as it contains water the entire year. This helps in irrigation and other purposes.

Someshwari River

• The Someshwari river is ranked as the second-largest river in Meghalaya. 

• The people residing in Meghalaya also call the Someshwari river by its native name ‘Samsung’. 

• This river is one of the rivers of Garo Hills situated in Meghalaya. 

• The term ‘Someshwari’ is inspired by Nokrek Peak situated in the Nokrek Mountains. 

• It is the largest river in the area of the Garo Hills town.

• The water of the Someshwari river flows from the south direction of Meghalaya and comprises the towns of Meghalaya, namely Williamnagar, Baghmara and Rewak. 

Umngot River 

• The Umngot river is situated in Meghalaya at the border of the Dawki town. 

• It is a renowned river in Meghalaya. 

• The Umngot river is one of the most famous tourist places in Meghalaya. 

•  It is also known as the clean water river of Meghalaya.

• Due to the cleanliness associated with this river, it looks like crystal glass. 

• The Umngot river works as a trade hub between the two countries named- India and Bangladesh.

• The people who come to Meghalaya to enjoy the view of the river of Meghalaya must go boating to make their journey more memorable. 

Conclusion

Meghalaya is a state in the northeast part of India. The entire state is enveloped in lush greenery. The phrase ‘Meghalaya’ translates to ‘the place of clouds,’ which is true concerning its geographical location. As this state receives rainfall of 1,140 cm annually, many rivers originate here. The state embodies many rivers, and most of them are seasonal as they are rainfed. The plateau is divided into the Garo hills area, the eastern and central plateau and the Khasi Hills region. The predominant rivers of this mountainous state are the Digaru river, the Kopili river, the Myntdu river, the Someshwari river and the Umngot river.