The Indus also known as Sindhu, is one of the largest river basins of the World covering an area of 11,65,000 sq km.
The indus is one of the most important drainage systems of the subcontinent of India. It has a length of 2880 km, of which 709 km lies in India.
It is the western most Himalayan river in India.
It originates from the Bokhar Chu glacier in northern slopes of Mt. Kailash. It drains the largest number of glaciers and mountain slopes of the Karakoram. In Tibet, it is known as Singhi Kamban i.e. Lion’s Mouth.
It flows in the northwest direction between Ladakh and Zasker it passes through Ladakh and Baltistan. It cuts across the Ladakh range, forming a spectacular gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and Kasmir.
The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district of Jammu and Kasmir. Emerging out of the hills near Attock it receives Kabul river on its right bank there after enters into Pakistan near Chillar in Dardistan region.
Left bank tributaries of the Indus include Suru, Dras, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Satluj.
Its right bank tributaries are (all originating from Sulaiman range) Khurram, Shyok, Gomal, Gilgit, Sangar, Viboa and Tochi.
Shyok river also known as The River of Death in Yarkandi Uyghur and Karakoram regions.
The river flows southward and receives Panjnad (5 rivers of Punjab -Satluj, Ravi, Chenab, Beas, Jhelum) a little above Mithankot.
The river finally discharges its water into Arabian sea, south of Karachi forming a Delta.
Indus Water Treaty
Tributaries of Indus river
1. Jhelum(Vitasta)
The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot hills of Pir Panjal in the south eastern part of valley of Kasmir.
It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge.
It joins Chenab near Jhang in Punjab province of Pakistan.
Lidder, Sindh and Neelum are its tributaries in Kashmir.
2. Chenab(Askini)
It is formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
It originates near Bara Lacha pass in Lahul-spiti region of Zasker range.
It is the largest tributary of Indus in India before entering Pakistan.
It makes a hair pin bend near Kishtwar flowing across the Pir Panjal to enter into Pakistan.
The river enters into the plain areas near Akhnur in Jammu and Kashmir.
It receives water of Jhelum, Ravi and Satluj.
Dulhasti Hydroelectric project, Salal Hydroelectric project and Baglihar project are located on this river.
3. Ravi(Parushni)
It rises west of Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through Chamba valley of the state.
It forms a deep gorge in the Dhauladhar range.
Ravi joins Chenab near Sarai Sidhu. Its drainage area lies between the south- eastern part of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar range.
It run along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab plains along Amritsar and Gurdaspur befor entering into Pakistan.
4. Beas(Vipasa)
The Beas is another important tributary of Indus, originating from the Beas Kund (Rohtang pass) at an elevation of 4,000 metres.
This river flows through Kullu valley and forms gorges in Dhauladhar range.
This river basin lies completely within the Indian territory.
It meets Satluj river at Harike in Punjab. India’s longest canal Indira Gandhi Canal starts from this Harike Barrage
5. Satluj(Satudri)
Originates from Rakas Lake near Mansarovar (Dharma Pass) in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab.
It flows almost parallel to Indus (400 km) beforing entering India at Sipki La(Himachal pradesh) and from Ropar enters into Punjab plain. After entering into India, river Spiti joins this river in the north.
It is an antecedent river.
Ghaggar
It has created an extraordinary canyon at Nari Khorasan province of Tibet which is comparable to Grand Canyon of colorado.
It forms international boundary(120 km) betweeen India and Pakistan where it joins at Mithankot
Govind Sagar Dam (Bhakra Dam) is situated on this river. Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric project is located along this river in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Ghaggar(the legendary saraswati)
This is an inland drainage which rises in the talus fan of the Shivaliks of Sirmaur near Ambala(Haryana). After entering the plains, it disappears, but reappears at Karnal District.
Further on, the stream is called Hakra which gets lost near Hanumangarh in Bikaner. The considerably large size of this river bed, 5 to 8km wide, with the loamy soil in the river bed, led to the belief that in old times the Satluj flowed south through this Ghaggar-Hakra river instead of flowing southwestward(in the form of a much bigger river known as river Saraswati i vedic literature, probably 5000 BC Or earlier).
This river is traced further on as Eastern Nara which is, at present, an old channel of the Indus in Sind(Pakistan), and flows into the Rann of Kutch which was described as a deep fairly gulf at that time. At present, the entire area is practically a desert, and the Ghaggar-Hakra are practically ephemeral streams coming intoflow onlyduringthe season of general rains.
Indus Water Treaty
The Indus system comprises the main Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.
The sharing formula, devised after prolonged negotiations, sliced the Indus system into teo halves. The three ‘western rivers'(Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) went to pakistan and the ‘eastern rivers'(Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) were portioned to India
India is allowed to use 20% water of the western rivers for irrigation, piower generation and transport purposes.
IWT granted 3.6 million acre- feet (MAF) OF ”permissible storage capacity” to India on western rivers but due to poor water development projects, 2-3 MAF of water easily flows into Pakistan.
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