The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
in the
Lahaul region of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, India. The Chenab flows through the
Jammu region
The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most of ...
of Jammu and Kashmir, India into the plains of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Pakistan, before ultimately flowing into the
Indus River
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
.
The waters of the Chenab were allocated to Pakistan under the terms of the
Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi on 19 September 1960 b ...
. India is allowed non-consumptive uses such as power generation. The Chenab River is extensively used in Pakistan for irrigation. Its waters are also transferred to the channel of the
Ravi River
The Ravi River () is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of five rivers associated with the Punjab region.
Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers were ...
via numerous link canals.
[
]
Name
The Chenab river was called ' ( sa, असिक्नी) in the Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...
(VIII.20.25, X.75.5). The name meant that it was seen to have dark-coloured waters. The term Krishana is also found in the Atharvaveda. A later form of Askikni was ' ( sa, इस्कामति) and the Greek form was grc, Ἀκεσίνης - ''Akesínes''; Latinized to ''Acesines''.
In the Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
, the common name of the river was ''Chandrabhaga'' ( sa, चन्द्रभागा) because the river is formed from the confluence of the Chandra and the Bhaga rivers. This name was also known to the Ancient Greeks, who Hellenised it in various forms such as ''Sandrophagos'', ''Sandabaga'' and ''Cantabra''.
The simplification of Chandrabhaga to 'Chenab', with evident Persianate influence, probably occurred in early medieval times and is witnessed in Alberuni.
Course
The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, southwest of Keylong
Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Mana ...
, in the Lahaul and Spiti district
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were mer ...
of the India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
.[
The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the ]Bara-lacha la
Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass, or Bārā Lācha La, (el. ) is a high mountain pass in the Zanskar range of Northern-India, connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh. Rail-cum-road tunnels are bein ...
pass in Himachal Pradesh. The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal
Tso Chigma or Chandra Taal (meaning the ''Lake of the Moon''), or Chandra Tal is a lake in the spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Chandra Taal is near the source of the Chandra River. Despite the rugged ...
).[
][
] This pass also acts as a water-divide between these two rivers.[
] The Chandra river transverses while the Bhaga river transverses through narrow gorges before their confluence at Tandi.
The Chandra-Bhaga then flows through the Chamba district
Chamba is the northwestern district of Himachal Pradesh, in India, with its headquarters in Chamba town. The towns of Dalhousie, Khajjhiar and Churah Valley are popular hill stations and vacation spots for the people from the plains of nort ...
in Himachal Pradesh before entering the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir, where it flows through the Kishtwar
Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar District in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division.
T ...
, Doda, Ramban, Reasi
Reasi is a town and a notified area committee and tehsil in Reasi district of the Indian States and union territories of India, union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. Situated at the bank of River Chenab, It ...
and Jammu district
Jammu district is the most populous of the districts in Jammu and Kashmir, India and is home to the winter capital (Jammu) of Jammu and Kashmir. The capital moves to Srinagar in the summer.
Administrative divisions
Jammu District has 7 Sub-D ...
s. It enters Pakistan and flows through the Punjab province before emptying into the Sutlej, forming the Panjnad river
The Panjnad River (Punjabi and ur, ) is a river at the extreme end of Bahawalpur district in Punjab, Pakistan. The name ''Panjnad'' means "five rivers", from Persian ''panj'' ("five") and Sanskrit ''nadī́'' ("river").The Panjnad River is form ...
.
History
The river was known to Indians in the Vedic period. In 325 BCE, Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
allegedly founded the town of Alexandria on the Indus
Alexandria on the Indus ( el, Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἐπὶ Ἰνδῷ, likely modern Uch, Pakistan) was a city founded by Alexander the Great at the junction of the Indus and the Acesines river. Arrian tells that colonists, mainly Thracian v ...
(present day Uch Sharif or Mithankot or Chacharan in Pakistan) at the confluence of the Indus and the combined streams of Punjab rivers (currently known as the Panjnad River
The Panjnad River (Punjabi and ur, ) is a river at the extreme end of Bahawalpur district in Punjab, Pakistan. The name ''Panjnad'' means "five rivers", from Persian ''panj'' ("five") and Sanskrit ''nadī́'' ("river").The Panjnad River is form ...
).
Dams
The river has rich power generation potential in India. There are many dams built, under construction or proposed to be built on the Chenab for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation in the country, including:
All of these are "run-of-the-river
Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...
" projects as per the Indus Water Treaty
The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi on 19 September 1960 b ...
of 1960. The Treaty allocates the waters of Chenab to Pakistan. India can use its water for domestic and agricultural uses or for "non-consumptive" uses such as hydro power. India is entitled to store up to of water in its projects. The three projects completed , Salal, Baglihar and Dul Hasti, have a combined storage capacity of .
Pakistan has four headworks on the Chenab:
See also
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Chenab River in the context of Pakistan
- by Pakistan Tourism Portal
{{Authority control
Rivers of Himachal Pradesh
Rigvedic rivers
Rivers of Jammu and Kashmir
Indus basin
Punjab
International rivers of Asia
Rivers of Punjab (Pakistan)
Rivers of India
Rivers in Buddhism
Rivers of Pakistan