*Route map of river Indus along with its tributaries.

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The Indus River is one of the most beautiful rivers of India. Together with its tributaries, the Indus River forms an important river system, which helps the agricultural economy of India. The Indus River is an important river, which runs through the entire length of Pakistan.

Origin of the Indus River

The Indus River originates near the Mansarovar Lake in the Tibetan plateau, on the northern slopes of the Kailash Mountain Range. Regardless of the fact that almost two thirds of the itinerary of the river is flowing through Pakistan, it has its presence on the Indian soil. Parts of the itineraries of the tributaries of the Indus River do run on the Indian soil. The name Punjab has been derived from these tributaries that collectively signify "five waters" or "land of five waters".

Starting off in the Tibetan highland of western China near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the Indus river flows through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the river gets into Pakistan through the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), running across the North in a southward route down the whole span of Pakistan, to join the Arabian Sea close to the port city of Karachi situated in Sindh. The Indus River is 3,180 kilometers (1,976 miles) long and it is also the longest river in Pakistan.

Drainage

The Indus River features a total catchment basin of more than 1,165,000 square km (450,000 sq miles). The approximate yearly discharge of the river figures at approximately 207 cubic kilometers, making it the 21st biggest river in the world in terms of yearly discharge. Starting at the pinnacle of the world with glaciers, the Indus River supplies the flora and fauna of temperate forests, plateaus, and dry rural areas. In conjunction with the rivers Chenab, Jhelum, Sutlej, Ravi, Beas and two tributaries from the Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Indus creates the Sapta Sindhu (Seven Rivers) delta of Pakistan.

Description of the Indus River

The Indus supplies the major water resources for the development of the economy of Pakistan - particularly the Breadbasket of Punjab province, which represents the lion's share of the farming production of the country, and Sindh. The expression Punjab is a portmanteau of two words - panj denoting five, and ab denoting water, offering the simple denotation of the Land of the Five Rivers. The five rivers or Panjnad after which Punjab is named are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and the Sutlej. In addition, the river aids several heavy industries and functions as the principal supply of drinkable water in Pakistan.

The origin of the river is located in Tibet; it starts at the meeting point of the Sengge and Gar rivers that sap the Gangdise Shan and Nganglong Kangri mountain ranges. The river subsequently runs to the northwest via Baltistan and Ladakh into Gilgit, immediately south to the Karakoram Mountain range. The Shyok, Gilgit and Shigar rivers transport icy waters into the major river. It slowly turns toward the south, emerging from the hills between Rawalpindi and Peshawar. The river leaves behind enormous canyons with depths of 4,500-5,200 meters (15,000-17,000 feet) in the vicinity of the Nanga Parbat formation. The Indus River runs rapidly through Hazara and is barraged at the Tarbela Reservoir. The Kabul River meets the river close to Attock. The rest of its itinerary to the sea is in the Punjab and Sindh basins and the river gets sluggish and extremely plaited. The Panjnad River meets it at Mithankot. Ahead of this meeting point, the Indus, once upon a time, was called Satnad River (Sat = seven, Nadi = river), as the river was at the moment transporting the waters of Kabul River, the five Punjab rivers, and the Indus River. Going across Jamshoro, it finishes its itinerary in a big delta located to the east of Thatta. Cotton, wheat, and sugarcane are the major agricultural produces of this area.

The Indus is one of the handfuls of rivers in the world that display a tidal bore. The river system is mostly fed by the glaciers and snows of the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram mountain ranges of Tibet, the northern parts of Pakistan, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir respectively. The stream of the river is also decided by the seasons - it reduces significantly in the winter, at the same time overflowing its banks in the monsoon (July to September). Furthermore, there is proof of a stable switch in the itinerary of the river from ancient era - it turned to the west from running into the Rann of Kutch and bordering Banni grasslands following the earthquake in 1816.

Tributaries of the Indus River 

The Indus River has the following tributaries:

·   Astor River

·   Nagar River

·   Dras River

·   Balram River

·   Ghizar River

·   Gar River

·   Gumal River

·   Gilgit River

·   Kurram River

·   Kabul River

·   Shigar River

·   Panjnad River (Created by the joining of the rivers Chenab, Beas, Jhelum, Ravi, and Sutlej)

·   Sohan River

·   Shyok River

·   Zanskar River

·   Tanubal River

Given below are the five main tributaries of the Indus River:

Beas

 The Beas has its source in Bias Kund, closely located to the Rohtang pass. The river flows across Kulu and Manali, where its picturesque basin is named as the Kulu valley. The Beas meets the Sutlej river close to Harika, after being connected with some tributaries. The Beas is 615 km long. Running westward, it comes into India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. The river creates a beautiful canyon in this area.

Chenab 

The Chenab River has its source at the meeting point of two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga. In Himachal Pradesh, the river is also called the Chandrabhaga. It flows parallely to the Pir Panjal Range. The river moves into the lands of Punjab in the vicinity of Akhnur and is subsequently connected with the Jhelum. It creates the border between the Rechna and the Jech Doabs. The Chenab also meets the Ravi and the Sutlej in Pakistan. The length of the Chenab River is 960 km.

Jhelum

 The Jhelum River has its source in the south-eastern region of Jammu and Kashmir, in a spring lying at Verinag. The length of Jhelum river is 480 miles. The river runs partly in Pakistan and partly in India. The source of the river is situated at the base of the Pir Panjal range in the south eastern region of the Kashmir plateau. The river runs through the Wular lake and Srinagar in India, prior to moving into the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Ravi 

The Ravi River has its source close to the Rotang pass in the Himalayan mountain ranges and runs according to a north-westerly itinerary. The river shifts to the south-west in the vicinity of Dalhousie, and subsequently forms a canyon in the Dhaola Dhar mountain range, penetrating the Punjab valleys close to Madhopur. The Ravi River runs as a portion of the boundary between India and Pakistan for a particular distance prior to moving into Pakistan and meeting the Chenab River. The Ravi River is 720 km long.

Sutlej (Satluj)

 The Sutlej River is also known as the Satluj or the Red River. The source of the river is the Rakshas Tal or Rakas Lake, which is linked to the Manasarovar Lake with a watercourse in Tibet. The river moves into Pakistan in the vicinity of Sulemanki and is subsequently met by the Chenab. The Sutlej is approximately 1,500 km long.

Wildlife of the Indus River

Chronicles of the Indus valley from the period of Alexander's invasion point towards a sizable woodland encompassing the area, which has greatly diminished as of now. Babur, the famous Mughal Emperor, had mentioned about seeing rhinoceroses beside the riverbanks in the Baburnama (his autobiography). Widespread cutting down of trees and human intervention in the ecosystem of the Shivalik Hills have resulted in a noticeable decline in the quality of foliage and cultivating circumstances. The areas in Indus valley are dry with meagre plantation. Cultivation is mostly dependent on irrigation water.

Platanista gangetica minor or the blind Indus River Dolphin is a breed of dolphin seen only in the Indus River. Earlier, the dolphin was also found in the tributaries of the Indus River. Palla fish (Hilsa) of the Indus River is a preferred food choice for inhabitants staying on the banks of the river. The number of fishes in the river waters is reasonably high. Thatta, Sukkur, and Kotri are the important fishing hubs - all located in the lower Sindh itinerary. However, irrigation and barraging has made fish cultivation a significant economic line of business. The big Indus valley delta is situated to the southeast of Karachi and it has been acknowledged by environmentalists to be one of the most significant ecological areas in the world. In this area, the river converts into several wetlands, torrents, and tributaries and joins the sea at low levels. You will see plenty of sea fishes and other creatures in this area, which include prawns and pomfret.

People living on the banks of the Indus River

The inhabitants of the areas through which the Indus River flows on and creates a significant natural beauty and wealth, are varied in terms of faith, race, national and language settings. 

In the district of Jammu and Kashmir on the northern itinerary of the river reside the Buddhist inhabitants of Ladakh, people of Tibetan ancestry, and the Dards of Dardic or Indo-Aryan ancestry who follow Islam and Buddhism. Subsequently, the river goes down into Baltistan in north Pakistan, going by the important Balti city of Skardu. While the river flows through Pakistan, it creates a characteristic border of society and traditions. On the western banks of the river, the people are mostly of Baloch, Pashtun, and other Iranic ancestry, with intimate economic, traditional, and communal ties with areas of Iran and East Afghanistan. The eastern banks of the Indus River are mostly inhabited by citizens of Indo-Aryan ancestry like the Sindhis and the Punjabis. In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab, tribal Pashtun people stay together with Dardic populace in the hills (Kalash, Khowar, Shina, and others), Burushos (in Hunza), and Punjabi individuals. People of Sindhi ancestry mostly inhabit the Sindh province. People of Pashtun and Baloch background inhabit on the western banks of the river.

THE  INDUS RIVER :

·  The Indus River is a major river in Asia which flows through   

    Pakistan. It also has courses through western Tibet and

    Northern India. 

·   Length: 3,200 km

·  Discharge: 6,600 m³/s

·  Mouth: Sapta Sindhu

·  Sources: Sênggê Zangbo, Tibetan Plateau, Gar River

·       Cities:  Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Gilgit, Thatta,

 Attock, Jamshoro,Mithankot

·  Countries: India, China, Pakistan

·  Bridges: Lansdowne Bridge 

The Indus (known as Sindhu in ancient times) is the principal river of Pakistan. It flows from the Himalayas approximately southwest to the Arabian Sea. India is named after it. The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the oldest urban civilizations in the world.

The ultimate source of the Indus is actually in Tibet; it begins at the confluence of the Sengge River and Gar River that drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan ranges. The Indus then flows northwest through Kashmir just south of the Karakoram range, then gradually bends to the south, coming out of the hills between Peshawar and Rawalpindi. It is dammed in this area also, forming the Tarbela Reservoir. The remainder of its route to the sea is in plains of the Punjab and Sind, and the river becomes slow-flowing highly braided. Passing by Hyderabad, it ends in a large delta to the southeast of Karachi that has now been recognised by conservationists as one of the world's most important ecological regions.

The Indus River Dolphin, modern genetic studies show, lives both in the Indus River and in the Ganges. The two populations were formerly considered distinct species. It formerly occurred in the tributaries of the Indus also and may have extended into the northwestern extremities of the Indian Province of Punjab.

The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. A tidal bore (or just bore) is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river against the direction of the current. As such, it is a true tidal wave.The Indus River plain is a vast expanse of fertile land, covering about 200,000 square miles (518,000 square km), with a gentle slope from the Himalayan piedmont in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south. The average gradient of the slope is no more than 1 foot per mile (1 metre per 5 km). Except for the micro relief, the plain is featureless. It is divisible into two sections, the upper and lower Indus plains, on account of their differing physiographic features.

 The upper Indus plain is drained by the Indus together with itstributaries,the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, forming a developed system of interfluves, known locally as doabs, in Punjab province (Persian panj āb, “five waters,” in reference to the five rivers). In the lower plain the Indus River has a Nilotic character; i.e., it forms a single large river with no significant tributaries. The plain narrows to form a corridor near Mithankot, where the Sulaiman Range comes close to the plain and the Indus merges with its last major tributary, the Panjnad River (which is itself merely the confluence of the five Punjab rivers). Flooding is a perennial problem, especially along the Indus, as a consequence of heavy rains (usually in July and August).

Indus, the Lion River

The Indus Valley Civilization From 25000 to 1700 BC, the Indus River irrigated the lands of a very articulatedcivilization that once thrived in a/ around the present day remains of Mohenjo Daro and Harapa. The Indus Basin Water Treaty At the time of partition, all water heads of rivers flowing in Pakistan went to India, thus seriously affecting the just distribution of water between the two countries. After hectic negotiations, the Indus Basin Water Treaty was signed between Pakistan and India in September 1969, in which the Bank had been an intermediary. According to the Treaty, water of Rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was guaranteed to Pakistan, while India was allowed to retain water of Rivers Ravi and Beas (Sutlej in Pakistan). In addition to construction of Mangla Dam to compensate for the shortage of water, seven link canals were also constructed for inter river shift of water. These are Rasool-Qadirabad, Qadirabad-Balloki, Ballok-Sulemanki, Chashma-Jhelum, Trimun-Sidhnai, Sidhnai-Mailsi and Taunsa-Panjnadh Links Canals. However, lately India is violating the treaty by constructing the Baghliar Dam on River Chenab. Despite a number of meetings by secretaries of both the countries in 2004, the deadlock persists. Indus Delta

If there was no Indus river, there would not have no people living in this part of the world. Originating from the glacial Tibetan mountains, the Indus gushes into Pakistan with all its might and fright from the northern areas. Near Attock, the River Kabul also joins this ferocious river and one can vividly see the blue Kabul River merging with the muddy Indus while standing on the bridge over Indus at Attock. Both join hands together and irrigate the entire length of Pakistan, approximately 2,900 km (1,800 mi), till it steadily calms down and fades away in the Arabia Sea.  Besides Indus, four other rivers also enter Pakistan from the neighboring India, namely the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej and all empty into the Indus to add to its might and power. The place where all these four rivers meet the Indus is known as "Panj Nadh (meaning in local language Five Rivers) south of the famous ancient city of Multan. Having almost lost its impetus near the Arabia Sea, it fans out and forms the Indus Delta. Here the forests of mangroves and many a species of birds and fish flourish on the sweet waters of the Indus. The total area of the deltas that includes swamps and mangroves is approximately 225,000 hectares (556,000 acres). The port city of Karachi and marches of Ran of Kutch shoulder this delta during its final stages of journey.  Cities that Indus Passes By: The Indus skirts and passes by the famous Attock, Bannu, Faisalabad, Multan, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad  and finally embracing the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi (above). The Indus Delta The Indus Delta is the fifth largest delta in the world, characterized by high river discharge, moderate tides, and evidently the highest wave energy of any river in the world. The fan-shaped delta consists of creeks, estuaries, mud, sand, salt flats, mangrove habitat, marshes, sea bays, and straits and rocky shores. Its 129,000 ha. of mangrove, mostly Avicenna marina, comprises 97% of the total mangrove area in the country and is said to be the 7th largest mangrove forest in the world. The area is rich in archaeological and religious heritage. The Indus River "Blind" Dolphin The Indus River harbors the rare species of nearly blind dolphin. The dolphin lacks eye lenses and the eye openings are no bigger than a pinhole. As a result, these rely almost entirely on echolocation to forage for food and navigate in the murky river waters. The Indus Dolphin has a long beak, a small, low hump, wide flippers and an adult can weigh 70- 90 kg. They are slow swimmers, but can move in rapid spurts. They breathe through their slit - like blowholes with a loud sound that is similar to a sneeze, and can be heard from quite a distance." It sometimes carries its young on its back, above the surface of the water. These are found in a localized 100 mile stretch between the Sukkur and Guddu Barrages in Indus River. The dolphin, also known as Indus Susu, is one of the five species of cetaceans that are threatened with extinction, presently no more than 500 animals remaining. The Indus dolphin has been a victim of both deliberate and accidental exploitation. ThePakistan Adventure Foundation, a project funded by the UN Development Programme, is trying to create awareness about the endangered blind dolphin through rafting expeditions and visiting riverside fishing communities.

The Indus River

The Indus River

The Indus River

The Indus River