Tributaries of the Indus River — Five Rivers of Punjab & Others

Name: Indus River (Sanskrit: Sindhu; Tibetan: Sengge Chu or Sengge Zangbo meaning 'Lion River'). Origin: Sengge Zangbo/Sengge Chu springs near Senge Khabab, close to Lake Mansarovar (Manasarovar) and Kailash Mountain in Tibet (China). Total length: approximately 3,180 km. Length in India: approximately 1,114 km — flows through Ladakh (Union Territory). Mouth: Arabian Sea, near Karachi, Pakistan.

Course of the Indus:

1. Tibet (China): Originates near Mansarovar; flows northwestward through the Tibetan Plateau.
2. Ladakh (India): Enters India near Demchok. Flows through Ladakh — past Leh city — in a deep gorge.
3. Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan): Crosses into Pakistan-administered territory at the western end of Ladakh.
4. Pakistan (Punjab and Sindh): Flows southward through Pakistan, receiving its major tributaries.
5. Arabian Sea: Empties into the Arabian Sea southeast of Karachi, forming a delta.

The Indus gives India its name — 'India' and 'Hindu' are derived from 'Sindhu' (the Sanskrit name for the Indus). The Indus Valley Civilisation (also called Harappan Civilisation) flourished along the Indus and its tributaries approximately 5,000 years ago.

The most famous tributaries of the Indus are the five rivers that give Punjab its name ('Punj' = five, 'ab' = waters/rivers in Persian). These rivers flow from the Himalayas and join the Indus in Pakistan:

1. Jhelum River:

   • Origin: Verinag spring, Anantnag district, Kashmir (India).
   • Flows through: Kashmir Valley → Pakistan-administered Kashmir (POK) → Pakistan Punjab.
   • Joins: The Chenab River in Pakistan, which then joins the Indus.
   • Classical name: Vitasta (Sanskrit); Hydaspes (Greek — Alexander the Great crossed this river in 326 BCE at the Battle of the Hydaspes).
   • Length: approximately 725 km.

2. Chenab River:

   • Origin: Confluence of Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi, Lahaul district, Himachal Pradesh.
   • Flows through: Himachal Pradesh → Jammu region → Pakistan.
   • Joins: Combined flow of Jhelum joins Chenab; then Chenab joins the Indus.
   • Classical name: Asikni or Chandrabhaga (Sanskrit).
   • Length: approximately 960 km.
   • Baglihar Dam (Ramban, J&K) and Salal Dam (Reasi, J&K) are on the Chenab in India.

3. Ravi River:

   • Origin: Near Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh.
   • Flows through: Himachal Pradesh → Punjab (India) → Pakistan.
   • Forms the international boundary between India and Pakistan for a stretch.
   • Joins: The Chenab in Pakistan.
   • Classical name: Parushni or Iravati (Sanskrit).
   • Length: approximately 720 km.
   • Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) on the Ravi is the largest dam in Jammu and Kashmir region.

4. Beas River:

   • Origin: Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh.
   • Flows through: Himachal Pradesh → Punjab (India).
   • Joins: The Sutlej River at Harike (Punjab, India) — the only one of the five rivers to join another of the five within India.
   • Classical name: Vipasa or Arjikiya (Sanskrit); Hyphasis (Greek).
   • Length: approximately 470 km.
   • Pandoh Dam (Himachal Pradesh) is built on the Beas.
   • Alexander the Great's army refused to cross the Beas (Hyphasis) and turned back — this marked the eastern limit of his conquests.

5. Sutlej River:

   • Origin: Rakshastal Lake (near Lake Mansarovar), Tibet (China).
   • Flows through: Tibet → Himachal Pradesh (India) → Punjab (India) → Pakistan.
   • The Sutlej enters India through the Shipki La pass.
   • Joins: The Chenab in Pakistan.
   • Classical name: Shatadru or Shatadroo (Sanskrit).
   • Length: approximately 1,450 km (longest of the five rivers).
   • Bhakra Nangal Dam is built on the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh (Punjab border area).
   • Gobind Sagar Reservoir is formed by the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej.

The right-bank tributaries of the Indus join it from the west and northwest (from the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Sulaiman ranges):

1. Shyok River:

   • Origin: Rimo Glacier and Karakoram Range (Ladakh/Pakistan-administered territory area).
   • Flows through: Eastern Ladakh → joins the Indus near Skardu (Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan).
   • The Shyok flows through some of the most remote and strategically sensitive terrain in the region (Galwan Valley area).
   • Length: approximately 550 km.

2. Gilgit River:

   • Origin: Gilgit area, Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan-administered).
   • Joins: The Indus near Gilgit town.
   • The Gilgit River system drains parts of the Hindu Kush.
   • Gilgit-Baltistan is a Pakistani-administered territory claimed by India.

3. Kabul River:

   • Origin: Sanglakh Range, Afghanistan (near Kabul city).
   • Flows through: Afghanistan → Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan).
   • Joins: The Indus at Attock, Pakistan.
   • The Kabul River is the largest right-bank tributary of the Indus by volume.
   • Length: approximately 700 km.
   • The Swat River is a tributary of the Kabul River.

Other right-bank tributaries: Kurram River, Tochi River, Gomal River, Zhob River (all in Pakistan/Afghanistan).

The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) is a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. It is one of the most successful international water treaties.

Key provisions: • Eastern rivers (given to India): Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — India has complete use of these three rivers. • Western rivers (given to Pakistan): Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — Pakistan has primary rights; India can use some water for irrigation and run-of-river hydroelectric projects but cannot construct storage dams.

Significance: • The treaty survived through multiple India-Pakistan wars (1965, 1971, 1999). • India has built hydroelectric projects on the Jhelum and Chenab under the treaty's provisions (e.g., Uri Dam, Baglihar Dam on Chenab; Salal Dam). • The treaty has been under strain in recent years; India threatened to review it after the Uri attack (2016) and the Pulwama attack (2019).

Summary of Indus River Tributaries: Left bank (from east — Himalayan rivers, join Indus in Pakistan): • Jhelum → Chenab → Ravi → Beas (joins Sutlej in India) → Sutlej → join the Indus Right bank (from west — Karakoram/Hindu Kush/Afghanistan): • Shyok → Gilgit → Kabul (largest right-bank tributary)