River Korotoa from Bogura district

The river Korotoa (or Karatoya river) is a river from the northern part of Bangladesh that originates from the great Himalaya like many other rivers of this country. This river entered Bangladesh through the Darjeeling of India, and after that it meandered through while collecting inflows from few other small rivers. Once upon a time it was a large river and people could use it as a medium of transportation. But now it is hardly possible to navigate due to the shallowness of the river.

There are many myths found about the river Korotoa. People believe that the boat of Behula-Lakkhindar floated in this river. People also believe that the Korotoa had emerged from the water that was dropped by the hands of Lord Shiva during his wedding with Parvati. The name Korotoa came from the Sanskrit words kar (hand) and toa (water).

This beautiful river is now in a moribund situation. It shrunk in such a size that you’d assume this is a canal. During the summer season you could easily cross the river with a simple walk, just need to fold your pants a bit up. Like other rivers, the Korotoa doesn’t have a massive amount of water flow on it. The Bangladesh government should take some initiative to save the river Korotoa.