Major Rivers of Pakistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Most of the rivers in Pakistan rise from Himalayan, Karakoram and Sulaiman Mountain ranges. The most important is the Indus river system.
Contents |
[edit] The Indus River System
Main article : Indus River
The Indus originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range in China near the Mansarovar lake. It follows a north-westerly course through Tibet. It enters Pakistan in Northern Areas from Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. It forms a picturuesque gorge in this part. Several tributaries - the Zaskar, the Shyok, the Nubrand the Hunza join it in the Northern Areas region. It flows through the regions of Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit and runs between the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range. It crosses the Himalayas through a 5181 m deep gorge near Attock, lying north of the Nanga Parbat and later takes a bend to the south west direction before entering Sarhad. It has a large number of tributaries in both India and Pakistan and has a total length of about 2897 km from the source to the point near Karachi where it falls into the Arabian Sea. The main tributaries of the Indus in India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
[edit] Jhelum
Main article : Jhelum River
The Jhelum originates in the south-eastern part of Kashmir, in a spring at Verinag. It flows into the Wular Lake, which lies to the north, and then into Baramula. Between Baramula and Muzaffarabad it enters a deep gorge cut by the river in the Pir Panjal range. It has a right bank tributary the Kishanganga which joins it at Muzaffarabad. It follows the Indo-Pakistan border flowing into the plains of Punjab, finally joining the Chenab at Trimmu. The total length of the river is about 450 miles.
[edit] Chenab
Main article : Chenab River
The Chenab originates from the confluence of two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which themselves originate from either side of the Bara Lacha Pass in Lahul. It is also known as the Chandrabhaga in Himachal Pradesh. It runs parallel to the Pir Panjal Range in the north-westerly direction, and cuts through the range near Kishtwar. It enters the plains of Punjab near Akhnur and is later joined by the Jhelum. It is further joined by the Ravi and the Sutlej in Pakistan.
[edit] Ravi
Main article : Ravi River
The Ravi originates near the Rotang pass in the Kangra Himalayas and follows a north-westerly course. It turns to the south-west, near Dalhousie, and then cuts a gorge in the Dhaola Dhar range entering the Punjab plain near Madhopur. It flows as a part of the Indo-Pakistan border for some distance before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab river. The total length of the river is about 720 km.
