Origin Of Indus River System
The Indian subcontinent had several river systems even before the existence of any civilizations. One such river system is the Indus River System, which is composed of the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Satluj rivers. The Indus River is the longest in the Indian subcontinent, stretching across 3,180 km (1,980 mi), and it's also known as the Sindhu River. The Sindhu River System is part of one of the most fertile regions in the world and the Indian subcontinent.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960 for water-sharing purposes because the Indus River flows through both India and Pakistan. According to this treaty, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab are under Pakistan's control, while Rabi, Beas, and Satluj are under India's control.
It's important to understand the distribution of the Indus River System throughout Pakistan and India, as well as its distribution per state in India. The Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, and Rabi rivers pass through J&K, while the Yamuna and the rivers Chenab, Rabi, Beas, and Satluj flow through Himachal Pradesh. The Ghaggar flows across Punjab with the rivers Rabi, Beas, Satluj, and Chenab.
The Indus River System was crucial for the establishment of one of the earliest human civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization. Mount Kailash, located in the Tibetan Plateau, is the exact source of the Indus River. The system is named after the Indus River, which is also known as the "Sindhu" river in Sanskrit and "Sinthos" in Greek. The river flows through the Ladakh region of India, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea near Karachi. The Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj, and Beas are the six perennial rivers that form the Indus River System. The name of our nation, "India," was derived from the word "Indus," highlighting the significance of the Indus River System for the Indian subcontinent.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960 for water-sharing purposes because the Indus River flows through both India and Pakistan. According to this treaty, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab are under Pakistan's control, while Rabi, Beas, and Satluj are under India's control.
It's important to understand the distribution of the Indus River System throughout Pakistan and India, as well as its distribution per state in India. The Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, and Rabi rivers pass through J&K, while the Yamuna and the rivers Chenab, Rabi, Beas, and Satluj flow through Himachal Pradesh. The Ghaggar flows across Punjab with the rivers Rabi, Beas, Satluj, and Chenab.
The Indus River System was crucial for the establishment of one of the earliest human civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization. Mount Kailash, located in the Tibetan Plateau, is the exact source of the Indus River. The system is named after the Indus River, which is also known as the "Sindhu" river in Sanskrit and "Sinthos" in Greek. The river flows through the Ladakh region of India, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea near Karachi. The Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj, and Beas are the six perennial rivers that form the Indus River System. The name of our nation, "India," was derived from the word "Indus," highlighting the significance of the Indus River System for the Indian subcontinent.
Tributaries of the Indus River System:
- The Indus also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India. It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31°15’ N latitude and 81°40’ E longitude) in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range.
- The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the southeastern part of the valley of Kashmir.
- It flows through Srinagar and the Wular Lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge. It joins the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan.
- The Ravi is another important tributary of the Indus. It rises west of the Rohtang Pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley of the state. Before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab near Sarai Sidhu, it drains the area lying between the southeastern part of the Pir Panjal and the Dhauladhar ranges.
- The Satluj originates in the ‘Raksas tal’ near Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555 m in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab. It flows almost parallel to the Indus for about 400 km before entering India and comes out of a gorge at Rupar. It passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges and enters the Punjab plains.



