Surma River | |
Name Other: | Śoraboti |
Pushpin Map: | Bangladesh |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Bangladesh |
Subdivision Type1: | Country |
Subdivision Name1: | Bangladesh |
Subdivision Type2: | Division |
Subdivision Name2: | Sylhet Division |
Subdivision Type3: | District |
Subdivision Name3: | Sylhet, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj |
Length: | 249km (155miles) |
Depth Avg: | 282feet |
Depth Max: | 550feet |
Source1: | Barak River |
Mouth: | Meghna River |
The Surma (Bengali: সুরমা নদী|Śurmā nôdī) is a major river in Bangladesh, part of the Surma-Meghna River System. It starts when the Barak River from northeast India divides at the Bangladesh border into the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers. It ends in Kishoreganj District, above Bhairab Bāzār,[1] where the two rivers rejoin to form the Meghna River, which ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal in Bhola District.
From its source in the Manipur Hills near Mao Songsang, the river is known as the Barak River.At the border with Bangladesh, the river divides into two branches, with the northern branch being called the Surma River and the southern the Kushiyara River. This is where the river enters the Sylhet Depression (or trough) which forms the Surma Basin.[2]
The Surma is fed by tributaries from the Meghalaya Hills to the north, and is also known as the Baulai River after it is joined by the south-flowing Someshwari River.
The Kushiyara receives tributaries from the Sylhet Hills and Tripura Hills to the south, the principal one from the Tripura Hills being the Manu. The Kushiyara is also known as the Kalni River after it is joined by a major offshoot (distributary) from the Surma. When the Surma and the Kushiyara finally rejoin in Kishoreganj District above Bhairab Bazar, the river is known as the Meghna River.
The Surma passes through many haors.[3]