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Koshi
Nepali: कोशी, koshī, Hindi: कोसी, kosī
View of Koshi Bridge and Koshi River from Saptari, Nepal
Map showing Koshi Tributaries
Location
Country
China, Nepal, India
State
Tibet Autonomous Region, Koshi province, Bihar
Cities
Saptari, Sunsari, Supaul, Katihar, Bhagalpur
Physical characteristics
Source
Sun Kosi, Arun and Tamur Rivers form Saptakoshi
• location
Triveni, Nepal
Length
729 km (453 mi)
Basin size
74,500 km2 (28,800 sq mi)
Discharge
• average
2,500 m3/s (88,000 cu ft/s)
The Kosi or Koshi is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence of tributaries north of the Chatra Gorge onwards, the Kosi River is also known as the Saptakoshi (Nepali: सप्तकोशी, saptakoshī) for its seven upper tributaries. These include the Tamur River originating from the Kanchenjunga area in the east and Arun River and the Sun Kosi from Tibet. The Sun Koshi's tributaries from east to west are the Dudh Koshi, Likhu Khola, Tamakoshi River, Bhote Koshi and Indravati. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern Bihar, India where it branches into distributaries before joining the Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.[1] The Kosi is the third-largest tributary of the Ganges by water discharge after the Ghaghara and the Yamuna.[2]
The Kosi is 720 km (450 mi) long and drains an area of about 74,500 km2 (28,800 sq mi) in Tibet, Nepal and Bihar.[3][4] In the past, several authors proposed that the river has shifted its course by more than 133 km (83 mi) from east to west during the last 200 years. But a review of 28 historical maps dating 1760 to 1960 revealed a slight eastward shift for a long duration, and that the shift was random and oscillating in nature.[5]
The river basin is surrounded by ridges which separate the Kosi from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the north, the Gandaki in the west and the Mahananda in the east. The river is joined by major tributaries in the Mahabharat Range approximately 48 km (30 mi) north of the Indo-Nepal border. Below the Siwaliks, the river has built up a megafan some 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) in extent, breaking into more than 12 distinct channels, all with shifting courses due to flooding.[6][7] Kamalā and Bāgmati (Kareh) are the major tributaries of Kosi River in India, besides minor tributaries such as Bhutahi Balān.[8][9]
Its unstable nature has been attributed to the power it can build up as it passes through the steep and narrow Chatra Gorge in Nepal.[10] During the monsoon season, It picks up a heavy silt load, which it redeposits at times, causing it to change its channel. This leads to flooding in India with extreme effects.[11] Fishing is an important enterprise on the river but fishing resources are being depleted and youth are leaving for other areas of work.[12]
^Sharma, U. P. (1996). "Ecology of the Koshi river in Nepal-India (north Bihar): a typical river ecosystem". In Jha, P. K.; Ghimire, G. P. S.; Karmacharya, S. B.; Baral, S. R.; Lacoul, P. (eds.). Environment and biodiversity in the context of South Asia. Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Environment and Biodiversity, March 7–9, 1994, Kathmandu. Kathmandu: Ecological Society. pp. 92–99.
^Jain, Sharad K.; Agarwal, Pushpendra K.; Singh, Vijay P. (16 May 2007). Hydrology and Water Resources of India. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-5180-7.
^"Kosi Basin". Water Resources Information system of India. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
^Nayak, J. (1996). Sediment management of the Kosi River basin in Nepal. In: Walling, D. E. and B. W. Webb (eds.) Erosion and Sediment Yield: Global and Regional Perspectives. Proceedings of the Exeter Symposium July 1996. IAHS Publishing no. 236. Pp. 583–586.
^Chakraborty, T.; Kar, R.; Ghosh, P.; Basu, S. (2010). "Kosi megafan: historical records, geomorphology and the recent avulsion of the Kosi River". Quaternary International. 227 (2): 143–160.
^Rao, K. L. (1975). India's Water Wealth. Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, New Delhi.
^Verghese, B. G. (1993) "Waters of Hope: Integrated Water Resource Development and Regional Cooperation within the Himalayan-Ganga-Brahmaputra-Barak Basin". Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Oxford. IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.
^Kosi River at the Encyclopædia Britannica
^"Kosi River, Bihar, India". San Diego State University. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
^"Anatomy of a flood: The case of Kosi in 2008 | India Water Portal". www.indiawaterportal.org. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^Bapalu, G. V. & Sinha, R. (2005). "GIS in Flood Hazard Mapping: a case study of Kosi River Basin, India" (PDF). GIS Development Weekly. 1 (13): 1–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2013.
^Ranjit, R. (2002). The current status of capture fishery in the upper Sunkoshi River (Report). Technical Paper. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. pp. 247–256.
The Kosi or Koshi is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the...
roughly mean "Tibetan river") is the name given to the upper course (main tributary) of the Sun Kosiriver. It is part of the Koshi River system in Nepal....
(दुधकोशी नदी, Milk-Koshi River) is a river in eastern Nepal. It is the highest river in terms of elevation. The KosiRiver, or Sapt Koshi, drains eastern...
KosiRiver across the Mahabharat Range in Nepal. The Kosi, or Sapt Kosi, drains eastern Nepal. It is known as Sapt Koshi because of the seven rivers which...
Mundeswari River Meghna River Punarbhaba River Atrai River Mahananda RiverKosiRiver kamla River Bagmati River Burhi Gandak River Phalgu Gandaki River (also...
and the word "kosi" means river. The Koshi River drains eastern Nepal. It is also known as Saptkoshi River because of the seven rivers joining in east-central...
of the KosiRiver. It serves as the administrative headquarters for the Saharsa District and is also the Divisional headquarters of the Kosi Division...
The Barun River (Nepali: बरुण नदी) is a tributary of the Arun River and is part of the Kosiriver system in Nepal. The Koshi or Sapta Koshi drains eastern...
Look up kosi, kosī, or hi:कोसी in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Kosi may refer to: KosiRiver in Nepal and Bihar, India Dudh KosiRiver in Nepal, tributary...
Son River, which contributes about 1,008 m3/s (35,600 cu ft/s). The 814 km (506 mi) long Gandaki River, then the 729 km (453 mi) long KosiRiver, join...
Indian state of Bihar is primarily drained by two major rivers: KosiRiver : The KosiRiver, often referred to as the "Sorrow of Bihar" due to its history...
the presiding deity. The temple is situated over a large rock in the Kosiriver and is one of the most famous temples of the Nainital district, visited...
comprises extensive reed beds and freshwater marshes in the floodplain of the KosiRiver, and ranges in elevation from 75 to 81 m (246 to 266 ft). It was established...
There is a proposal to link the Mechi to the Kosi. Kosi–Mechi interlinking is part of a NPR 56000 billion River Interlinking Project proposed to Nepal by...
the Koshi region of Bihar (Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Purnia). The KosiRiver is known as the "Sorrow of Bihar" as the annual floods affect about 21...
Kari Kosi is one of the two rivers flowing through Purnea (city). It is the abandoned channel of Kosiriver which used to flow from center of Purnea which...
The 1987 Bihar flood, caused by high levels of annual flooding of the KosiRiver (nicknamed "the sorrow of Bihar"), was one of the worst floods in Bihar...
Namche Bazaar, 3,440 metres (11,290 ft), following the valley of the Dudh Kosiriver. It takes about two days to reach the village, which is the central hub...
an hour or so. It is one of the quietest beaches in South Africa. The KosiRiver Mouth is known as "the aquarium" because of the clarity of the water and...
in the bank of Trimohini Sangam, which is the confluence of the river Ganga and Kosi . It is the de facto financial centre of Katihar district. As per...
headquarters of the Khagaria district. Two major rivers of the North Bihar Ganga river and the Kosiriver flows through the district. Begusarai is the industrial...
Parsa National Park acts as the provincial boundary in the west, and the KosiRiver forms the provincial border in the east. The province includes eight districts...
773 Rivers and hills form natural borders for Udayapur District. The Koshi River to the east separates it from Sunsari District and the Sun KosiRiver to...
Yellow River flood and the 2008 KosiRiver flood. Floodplains can form around rivers of any kind or size. Even relatively straight stretches of river are...
flood submerged most of the Kosi alluvial fan area, which is very fertile, with a dense agrarian population. The KosiRiver's upper basin in southern Tibet...
adjacent to Makalu Barun National Park, and in the south it extends to Dudh Kosiriver. It is part of the Sacred Himalayan Landscape. Sagarmatha National Park...
Development Region: Mechi Zone, named after the Mechi RiverKosi Zone, named after the KosiRiver Sagarmatha Zone, named after Sagarmatha (Mount Everest)...
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