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Landform of West Bengal

• West Bengal's landform comprises three distinct physiographic units: Northern Mountain, Western Plateau, and The Plains.

Northern Mountain Region

• The Northern Mountain Region encompasses the Darjeeling Himalayan region.
• The region is situated on the north-western side of West Bengal.
• The Teesta River divides the region into two parts: the Singalila range and the Darjeeling range.
• The Singalila range holds the highest point in West Bengal, the Sandakfu peak at 3,636 meters.
• Sandakfu & Phalut are the only places in West Bengal where Mount Everest is visible.
• The Buxa-Jayanti Hills, remnants of the Siwaliks, are found in the Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.

Western Plateau Region

• The Western Plateau, a part of the Chhota Nagpur plateau, is characterized by small hills called "Dungi" or "Tila".
• The region comprises Purulia, western parts of Birbhum, Bankura, Bardhaman, and West Midnapore districts.
• The highest peak in the Ayodhya hills is Gorga Buru.
• The region is dissected by rivers originating from the Chotanagpur plateau.
• The area between the Kansai and Subarnarekha rivers in Purulia district is known as "Barabhum".
• Bakreswar in Birbhum district is home to a hot water spring.

The Plains

• The Plains of West Bengal extend from Siliguri to the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
• This region is divided into two sub-regions: Plains of North Bengal and Plains of South Bengal.

Plains of North Bengal

• The Plains of North Bengal stretch from Siliguri to the north bank of the Ganges River.
• The region is further divided into the Terai-Duars region and the Northern Plain.

Terai-Duars Region

• The Terai-Duars region consists of sand, gravel, and pebbles brought down from the Himalayas by rivers.
• The Teesta River divides the region into Terai (western) and Duars (eastern).
• The Duars region is further subdivided into Siliguri (western), Jalpaiguri (middle), and Alipur (eastern) duars.

Northern Plain

• The Northern Plain extends from the southern end of the Terai region to the northern bank of the Ganges.
• It is further classified into:
  • Diara: New alluvium brought by the Kalindi River.
  • Barendrabhumi: Old alluvium found in south West Dinajpur and northeast Malda.
  • Tal: Lakes or wetlands formed by floodwaters, numerous between the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers.

Plains of South Bengal

• The delta plain formed by the lower course of the Ganges River constitutes the entire plains of South Bengal.
• The region is classified into four sub-divisions:

Ganga Delta Plain

• The Ganga Delta Plain is further categorized into three distinct plains:
  • Moribund Delta Plain: Old delta, covers Nadia and eastern Murshidabad districts.
  • Mature Delta Plain: Newer delta, covers Hooghly, Howrah, parts of Bardhaman, and East Midnapore districts.
  • Active Delta Plain: On-going delta formation, covers eastern South 24-Parganas and southern North 24-Parganas districts.
• New islands, such as Purbasha, are often formed in the southern part of the active delta.

Rahr Plain

• The Rahr Plain lies between the delta plain and the Western Plateau.
• It is formed by silt deposition carried out by tributaries of the Ajay, Damodar, Mayurakashi, and Rupnarayan rivers.
• The soil of the Rahr Plain is red due to the flow of rivers over the laterite soil of the Western Plateau.

Sandy Coastal Plain

• This plain lies along the Bay of Bengal in East Midnapore.
• It is formed by sand and mud deposition by rivers and wind.
• It features numerous sand dunes.

Sundarban Plain

• The Sundarban Plain encompasses the southern parts of North and South 24-Parganas, especially the Sundarbans.
• It is characterized by:
  • Alluvial low plains
  • Muddy and saline water
  • Numerous tributaries
  • Islands and estuaries
• The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world.
• The region is named after the abundant presence of "Sundari" trees.
• It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
• Many tidal rivers, such as Bartala, Saptamukhi, Jamina, Malta, and Gosaba, flow through the region.