288 CALCUTTA AND EASTERN CANALS
the rainy season. The pioneer of the system was Major Tolly, who in
1777 canalized an old bed of the Ganges, from its confluence with the
Hooghly at Hastings, a little south of Fort William, in Calcutta, south
eastwards to Gariya (8 miles). From this point the canal (known as
Tolly's Nullah) was carried east to meet the Bidyadhari river at Samuk-
pota, and thus gave access to an inner route which leads eastwards from
Port Canning. In 181o a further step was taken to facilitate access to
Calcutta. An old channel through the SALT WATER LAKES, east of the
city, was improved and led westwards by what is now known as the
Beliaghata canal in the neighbourhood of Sealdah. Between 1826 and
1831 a new route was opened between Calcutta and the Jamuna river,
following the same direct easterly course as the present Bhângar canal,
the object being to relieve the pressure on Tolly's Nullah ; a number of
tidal channels were utilized and connected by six cuts to form a con-
tinuous eastward route. The next step was to cut the Circular canal
from Chitpur, parallel with the Circular Road, to meet the old Eastern
canal at Beliaghata, and this was completed in 1831. These canals
were still choked by the increasing stream of traffic; and, in order to
relieve them, the New Cut was opened in 1859, leading from Ulta-
danga, a point on the Circular canal 3 miles east of Chitpur, south-east
to Dhapa on the Beliàghata canal. Finally the Bhângar channel was
canalized in 1899 for a length of 15 miles, thus completing the inner
channel which had been commenced in 1831.
The objective of this system is Barisal, the head-quarters of the
great rice-growing District of Backergunge, situated 187 miles east of
Calcutta. There are three alternative routes to Barisal. The one
generally followed is along the Bhângar canal and Sibsa river to Khulna,
and thence by the Bhairab river to Pirojpur and Barisal. An alterna-
tive route between Calcutta and Kaliganj on the Ichamatï river follows
Tolly's Nullah and the Bidyadhari river to Port Canning, and then
strikes north-eastward. This is called the Outer route, and two similar
alternative routes branch off southwards in Khulna District. The
main steamer route follows the Hooghly river as far as the Baratala
creek, and then turns east and north-east, meeting the two routes pre-
viously described at Pirojpur.
Included in this system is an important channel, known as the
Màdarïpur Bil route, which connects the Kumar and Madbumati rivers,
and is used by jute-laden steamers during the rains; it shortens the
journey between Khulna and Madaripur by 89 miles. The construction
of this route was commenced in 19oo, and has since been completed.
The channel is being deepened and widened for the purpose of allowing
steamers and flats drawing 6 feet of water to use the route during the
jute' season ; and the question of still further improving it, so as to
make it navigable throughout the year, is under consideration. The net
|
![[Digital South Asia Library]](/graphics/thirdlevel.gif)
