Farakka Barrage

Farakka Barrage is a 2,240-metre barrage across the Ganga River at Farakka in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Completed in 1975 after construction from 1961, it comprises 109 gates and a rail-cum-road bridge. Built to divert water through the Farakka Feeder Canal to the Hooghly River to improve navigability for Kolkata Port, it is a major engineering structure. Visitors view the barrage, river expanse and feeder canal from designated areas.

Visitors can expect views of the long barrage structure spanning the Ganga River with its multiple gates, the wide river upstream and downstream, and the Farakka Feeder Canal off-take. The setting is an open riverine landscape with the barrage, road and rail bridge, and township area. Viewing is from roadside points and designated areas outside restricted zones. Activities are limited to sightseeing and photography of the engineering structure and river scenery.

Construction of Farakka Barrage started in 1961 and was completed in 1975, with operations beginning on 21 April 1975. The project was undertaken to divert Ganga water through the 38.38 km long Farakka Feeder Canal to the Hooghly River to flush silt and improve navigability for Kolkata Port. The barrage is 2,240 metres long and was built as a major river engineering project by the Government of India.