The Indus River System
The Indus
- Length: about 2,880 km (India: about 709 km); origin: Bokhar Chu glacier, near Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet (about 5,500 m).
- Enters India at Demchok in Ladakh; flows north-west through Ladakh (Leh, Nyoma) and Gilgit-Baltistan, then through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea near Karachi.
- Tributaries in India: Zanskar, Nubra (Siachen), Shyok, Suru, Dras, Gilgit.
- It receives the Panjnad (the five rivers of Punjab: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) at Mithankot (Pakistan).
- Rises in Tibet as Singi Khamban (Lion's mouth); its gorge at Nanga Parbat is the western anchor of the Himalaya.
The five tributaries
| River | Origin | Length (approx.) | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jhelum (Vitasta / Vyeth) | Verinag spring, Anantnag (J&K), at the foot of the Pir Panjal | ~725 km (India ~400) | Srinagar, Wular Lake; flows into Pakistan; Uri, Kishanganga tributaries; Neelum (Kishanganga) |
| Chenab (Chandrabhaga) | Chandra and Bhaga at Tandi (Lahaul, Himachal) | 960 km | Longest of the Indus tributaries in India; Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi; Salal, Baglihar, Dulhasti, Pakal Dul, Ratle; the Chenab Bridge |
| Ravi (Iravati) | Near Rohtang (Bara Bhangal), Himachal | ~720 km | Chamba, Kathua, Gurdaspur; Ranjit Sagar (Thein) dam; flows to Pakistan |
| Beas (Vipasa) | Beas Kund near Rohtang pass | ~470 km | Entirely in India; Pong Dam; joins Sutlej at Harike |
| Sutlej (Satadru) | Rakas Tal (Rakshastal), Tibet | ~1,450 km | Enters at Shipki La; Bhakra-Nangal (Gobind Sagar); Nathpa Jhakri |
Indus Waters Treaty (1960)
| Basin | Rivers | Allotted to |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern rivers | Ravi, Beas, Sutlej (about 33 MAF) | India (unrestricted use) |
| Western rivers | Indus, Jhelum, Chenab (about 135 MAF) | Pakistan; India may use for run-of-river hydropower and limited irrigation |
- Signed in Karachi on 19 September 1960, mediated by the World Bank, by Nehru and Ayub Khan.
- After the Pahalgam attack (22 April 2025) India announced that the treaty would be held "in abeyance"; the legal and diplomatic position remains contested, so check the latest news before answering a current-affairs question.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.