The Jhelum (Vitasta)
Course
- Rises at Verinag (Anantnag), at the foot of the Pir Panjal. A spring emerges from the base of the hill, and it is the traditional source. Verinag has a Mughal garden built by Jahangir (1620).
- Flows north-west for about 100 km through the Vale of Kashmir, passes Anantnag, Awantipora, Srinagar, Wular Lake and Baramulla, then enters Pakistan-administered Kashmir at Muzaffarabad.
- Total length about 725 km. It joins the Chenab at Trimmu in Pakistan.
- In Srinagar the river is crossed by seven old bridges (Zaina Kadal, Amira Kadal, etc.), the area known as "Seven Bridges" (Haft Kadal).
Tributaries
| Tributary | Side | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lidder | Left | Rises at Kolahoi Glacier, flows through Pahalgam; joins near Anantnag (Bijbehara) |
| Sindh (Sind) | Left | Rises at Machoi Glacier; Sonamarg; joins at Shadipora |
| Dudhganga and Sukhnag | Right | From the Pir Panjal, join near Srinagar |
| Vaishav (Vishav) | Right | From Kausarnag lake |
| Rambiara | Right | From the Pir Panjal near Shopian; joins at Sangam, Pulwama |
| Kishanganga (Neelum) | Left | From Gurez, Drass; enters PoK and joins the Jhelum at Muzaffarabad. Site of the Kishanganga hydro project |
| Pohru | Left | Kupwara to Wular |
Facts
- The Jhelum is the only major river of the Vale of Kashmir, and navigable between Anantnag and Baramulla (about 110 km).
- Wular Lake stores floodwater.
- The Jhelum flood channel and the Sindh flood channel are built to reduce floods.
- The Uri and Lower Jhelum hydro projects lie on the Jhelum.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.