Tista

a river in northwestern India, where it flows through the states of Sikkim and West Bengal, and in Bangladesh; a right tributary of the Brahmaputra. The Tista measures 470 km in length and drains an area of approximately 12,000 sq km. It originates in the Tista glacier in the Greater Himalayas and flows through a deep gorge in its upper course. Below the city of Kalimpong it flows across the Indo-Gangetic plain, forming an enormous debris cone. The mean flow rate is approximately 1,000 cu m per sec. High water, which lasts from July to August, is usually accompanied by overflow and devastating floods, which cause frequent changes in the river’s channel in its lower course. The river is navigable in the course that flows across the plain. The cities of Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri (India) are located in the valley of the Tista.