Water defines much of West Bengal's geography, economy, and settlement pattern.
## Major rivers - **Ganges / Hooghly River** — the Hooghly distributary is the state's most famous river corridor and the historic artery of Kolkata and many industrial towns. - **Teesta** — major river of North Bengal. - **Damodar** — historically flood-prone and important to the industrial belt. - **Subarnarekha** — touches the southwestern region. - **Mahananda**, **Torsa**, **Jalangi**, **Mayurakshi**, **Ajay**, **Rupnarayan**, **Ichamati**, and many other rivers shape district life.
## Delta and estuaries - The southern part of the state forms part of the **Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta**, one of the world's great delta systems. - The **Sundarbans** consists of tidal channels, mudflats, estuaries, and mangrove islands.
## Lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands - **East Kolkata Wetlands** — internationally recognized Ramsar wetland system on Kolkata's eastern edge. - Urban lakes such as **Rabindra Sarobar** and **Subhas Sarobar** are important city water bodies. - Reservoirs and barrages in western and northern districts support irrigation, fisheries, and local recreation.
## Water-based life and economy - Inland fisheries and pond aquaculture are highly significant in the state. - River transport, ferries, and ghats remain important in and around Kolkata and in rural riverine areas. - Ports at **Kolkata** and **Haldia** are central to trade.
## Beaches and coast - West Bengal has a Bay of Bengal coastline with major beach destinations at **Digha**, **Mandarmani**, **Shankarpur**, **Tajpur**, and nearby stretches.
## Water challenges - Flooding, embankment breaches, salinity intrusion in coastal areas, siltation, arsenic contamination in groundwater in some districts, and riverbank erosion are important public concerns.
