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 Sikkim
has two main waterways, the Tista and the Rangit,
both of which are formed at high altitudes, partly
from the melt of glaciers, partly from the drainage
of alpine lakes. After this they are fed by the
abundant monsoon rainfall. Both the Tista and the
Rangit take serpentine routes in a generally
southern direction, carving out deep valleys till
they reach the state's southern boundary. The Rangit
flows east and the Tista flows west, Converging at
the confluence near Melli. The source of the Tista
is the resplendent lake Chho Lamo, though some
scholars belive that its true origins lie in the
glaciers Tista Khangse, a little futher to the east
of the lake. Two rivers, the Goma chhu and the Naku
Chhu, combine with the Zemu Chhu, and this combined
force, cascading down, merges with Tista 3
kilometers above lachen. The La chung Chu, a river
that follows the lachung valley, meets the Tista at
Chungthang. The now powerful river hurtles through
the gorges and steep valley, its thunderous roar
audible over considerable distances. At Mangan, the
river is joined by the Talung hu. At Singtam it
widens to becomes double its width and, for the
first time in its course, it is navigable. During
the dry season rafting is possible between Singtam
and Rangpo. From Rangpo the river bends in a
south-westerly direction, and serves as a natural
border with the state of West Bengal. It its
confluence with the Rangit near Melli, the sight of
its translucent jade waters merging with verdant
forests is a spectacular sight. The currents are
once again swift, the waters rough, throwing up surf
and spray where they strike giants boulders. Rapidly
passing the sleepy town of Tista, past the
Coronation Bridge which is the access to Bhutan, on
through the state of Assam, the Tista eventually
flows into Bangladesh where it merges with the great
Brahmaputra |
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The Rangit traces its source to
the Rathong glacier in West Sikkim. Like the Tista,
its descent is sharp and swift and it is fed
by many tributaries, the principle of these being
Raman Khola, Reli Chhu, Rathong Chhu and Rishi Khola.
It travels through deep forests near the Pemayangtse
monastery and Yoksam, and bifurcates the twin
township of Naya Bazar and Jorethang. from here the
gradient eases and the river turns eastward dividing
the lush forested foothills of Sikkim in the north
from the tea estates of West Bengal in the south. |
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