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Last edited July 3, 2021

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Template:Infobox river The Chenab River (Template:Lang-hi Template:IAST; Template:Lang-pa Template:IAST; Template:Lang-ur čanāb) is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh state, India. Chenab flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River near the city of Uch Sharif.

The waters of the Chenab were allocated to Pakistan under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty. 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 via numerous link canals.[1][2][3]

File:View from Gandhola Monastery down the Chenab river. Lahaul.jpg
View from Gandhola Monastery down the Chenab river in Lahaul

Name

The Chenab river was called Template:IAST2 (Template:Lang-sa) in the Rigveda (VIII.20.25, X.75.5). The name meant that it was seen to have dark-coloured waters.[4]Template:Sfn The term Krishana is also found in the Atharvaveda.Template:Sfn A later form of Askikni was Template:Lang (Template:Lang-sa)Template:Citation needed and the Greek form was Template:Lang-grc - Akesínes; Latinized to Acesines.[5][4]Template:Sfn

In the Mahabharata, the common name of the river was Chandrabhaga (Template:Lang-sa) because the river is formed from the confluence of the Chandra and the Bhaga rivers.Template:Sfn[6] This name was also known to the Ancient Greeks, who Hellenised it in various forms such as Sandrophagos, Sandabaga and Cantabra.Template:Sfn

The simplification of Chandrabhaga to 'Chenab', with evident Persianate influence, probably occurred in early medieval times and is witnessed in Alberuni.[7]

Course

Template:Expand section The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.[1]

The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh. The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal).[1][8] This pass also acts as a water-divide between these two rivers.[9] The Chandra river transverses Template:Convert before the confluence. The Bhaga river transverses through narrow gorges a distance of Template:Convert before the confluence at Tandi.[10]

History

The river was known to Indians in the Vedic period[11][12][13] In 325 BC, Alexander the Great allegedly founded the town of Alexandria on the Indus (present day Uch Sharif or Mithankot or Chacharan in Pakistan) at the confluence of the Indus and the combined stream of Punjab rivers (currently known as the Panjnad River).[14]

Dams

The river has rich power generation potential in India. Template:Columns-list

File:Old Bridge over river Chenab at Ramban.jpg
Old bridge over Chenab river at Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir, India

All of these are "run-of-the-river" projects as per the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. The Treaty allocates the Chenab River 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 Template:Convert of water in its projects. The three projects completed Template:As of (Salal, Baglihar and Dul Hasti) have a combined storage capacity of Template:Convert.[15]

Pakistan has four headworks on the Chenab:

See also

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References

Bibliography

Template:Wikisource1911Enc Template:Commons category

Template:Waters of India Template:Waters of Pakistan Template:Five rivers of the Punjab Template:Geo HP Template:PunjabGeography Template:Hydrography of Jammu and Kashmir Template:Waters of South Asia

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