Fascinating Facts About the Sutlej River You Need to Know

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Sutlej River in a nutshell

Location of Sutlej River

CountryChina (Tibet), India, Pakistan
StateTibet, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab (India), Punjab (Pakistan)
CitiesKalpa, Ludhiana, Vehari, Jallah Jeem, Bahawalpur

Physical Characteristics

SourceManasarovar-Rakas Lakes
Source LocationTibet
Source Elevation4,575 m (15,010 ft)
MouthConfluence with Chenab to form the Panjnad River
Mouth LocationNear Khairpur, Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan
Mouth Elevation102 m (335 ft)
Length1,450 km (900 mi) approx.
Basin Size395,000 km² (153,000 sq mi) approx.

Major Tributaries

Left TributariesBaspa
Right TributariesSpiti, Beas, Chenab

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Sutlej River Key Insights

  • The Sutlej River is a significant waterway in Asia, flowing through China, India, and Pakistan.
  • It is the longest of the five major rivers in the Punjab region and is also referred to as Satadru.
  • The river serves as the easternmost tributary of the Indus River.
  • The Sutlej merges with the Chenab River to form the Panjnad River, which eventually flows into the Indus River.
  • In India, the Bhakra Dam is constructed on the Sutlej River to support irrigation and provide other benefits to Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
  • Under the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan, the Sutlej’s waters are allocated to India.
  • The river’s average annual flow is estimated to be 14 million acre-feet (MAF) upstream of the Ropar barrage, below the Bhakra Dam.
  • Several major hydroelectric plants are situated on the Sutlej, such as:
    • Bhakra Dam (1,325 MW)
    • Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant (1,000 MW)
    • Nathpa Jhakri Dam (1,500 MW)
  • The Sutlej’s drainage basin in India covers areas in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Ladakh, and Haryana.

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Course Details

Source and Early Course

  • The Sutlej River originates west of the catchment area of Lake Rakshastal in Tibet, flowing as an ephemeral stream fed by springs.
  • Historically, Lake Rakshastal was part of the Sutlej basin but became disconnected due to tectonic shifts.
  • The river flows west-northwest for approximately 260 km (160 mi) under its Tibetan name Langqên Zangbo (meaning Elephant River or Elephant Spring).
  • It enters India through the Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh.

Course Through India

  • After crossing into India, the Sutlej travels west-southwest for about 360 km (220 mi) and meets the Beas River near Harike in Tarn Taran District, Punjab.
  • The Ropar Wetland, located in Punjab, lies along the Sutlej river basin.
  • Archaeological evidence indicates that the Indus Valley Civilization thrived near the Sutlej river basin.
  • Two important tributaries of the Sutlej in Ladakh are:
    • Ungti Chu River
    • Pare Chu River

Course Through Pakistan

  • The Sutlej enters Pakistan, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Bhedian Kalan in Kasur District, Punjab province.
  • It flows southwest, providing water to the historical Bahawalpur princely state.

Historical River Course

  • A few centuries ago, the Sutlej merged with the Ghaggar River and flowed into the Arabian Sea.
  • Around 1797 BCE, the Sutlej shifted northward to join the Beas River.

Confluence and Final Course

  • Approximately 17 km (11 mi) north of Uch Sharif, the Sutlej meets the Chenab River, forming the Panjnad River.
  • The Panjnad River eventually merges with the Indus River, about 100 km (62 mi) west of Bahawalpur.
  • On the Indian side, the southeastern region along the river is the Thar Desert, while on the Pakistani side, it is the Cholistan Desert.

Indus River and Delta

  • The Indus River continues through the Sukkur Gorge and the fertile Sindh plains, creating a vast delta.
  • The delta lies between Gujarat (India) and Pakistan, emptying into the Arabian Sea near Karachi.
  • During floods, the Indus River spills into the Great Rann of Kutch, making Gujarat a riparian state of the Indus.
  • The Rann of Kutch area, located west of Kori Creek in Gujarat, is considered part of the Indus River Delta.

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Puranic Mention and Etymology

  • As a result, Vasishtha landed on dry land, unharmed, and the river continued to flow with its divine significance.
  • In the Chaitra-Ratha Parva of the Adi Parva in the Mahābhārata, the Sutlej River is referred to as Haimāvata, indicating its origin from Himavat (the Himalayas).
  • The story recounts that sage Vasishtha, disheartened, attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the river, which was then teeming with crocodiles and other aquatic creatures.
  • The river, perceiving Vasishtha as an unquenchable fire, expanded and branched out into a hundred different directions to protect itself.
  • From this event, the river was named śatadra (or śatadru), meaning “the river of a hundred courses”.

Geology of the Sutlej River

  • The Sutlej River exposes a double inverted metamorphic gradient, offering valuable geological insights into the region.

Antecedent River

  • The Sutlej River predates the Himalayas and carved its course as the mountains rose, making it an antecedent river.
  • Around 5 million years ago, the Sutlej, along with the rivers of Punjab, is believed to have flowed eastward into the Ganges.

Historical Flow Changes

  • Geological evidence suggests that the Sutlej was once a key tributary of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, believed to be the mythical Sarasvati River, before redirecting to the Indus River.
  • Various timelines are proposed for this redirection:
    • Between 2500 and 2000 BC.
    • Between 5000 and 3000 BC.
    • Possibly before 8000 BC.

Tectonic Influence

  • Tectonic activity caused elevation changes that redirected the Sutlej from flowing southeast to southwest.
  • If this diversion occurred around 4000 years ago, it may have contributed to the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, leading to the desertification of Cholistan and parts of Sindh.
  • This drying up may also explain the abandonment of Harappan settlements along the Ghaggar.

Erosion and Exhumation

  • The modern Sutlej River’s high rate of erosion has likely influenced local faulting and caused rapid exposure of rocks, particularly near Rampur.
  • This phenomenon is similar to the rock exhumation caused by the Indus River in Nanga Parbat, Pakistan, though on a smaller scale.
  • A 10-kilometre-long gravity canal could connect Tso Moriri Lake to the Ungti Chu River, aiding in this water diversion.

Overview

  • The Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) is a proposed 214-kilometre (133 mi) long heavy freight and irrigation canal designed to connect the Sutlej River with the Yamuna River.
  • This canal aims to create a connection between the Ganges River, which flows to the east coast, and the western regions of the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan.

Potential Benefits

Inland Shipping

  • SYL would enable shipping from India’s east coast to the west coast (Arabian Sea) without the need to navigate around the southern tip of India.
  • This would reduce shipping distances significantly.

Economic Growth:

  • Alleviate pressure on seaports and reduce sea hazards.
  • Create business opportunities along the route.
  • Increase real estate values and tax revenue.
  • Establish critical commercial links.

Employment Generation

  • Provide jobs for the large population in north-central India.

Challenges and Legal Hurdles:

  • The project has faced legal and political obstacles and is currently under review by the Supreme Court of India.

Water Augmentation Plan

  • To meet the SYL canal’s water requirements (nearly 100 tmcft, equivalent to 2.832 × 10¹² liters), a proposal suggests diverting waters from:
  • Tso Moriri Lake or Lingdi Nadi, a tributary of Tso Moriri Lake, to the Sutlej basin.

History of the Sutlej River

  • Historically, the Sutlej was also known as Shutudri or Zaradros River.

Ancient Civilizations and the Garuda Valley

  • The Upper Sutlej Valley, known as Langqên Zangbo in Tibet, was historically called the Garuda Valley by the Zhangzhung civilization, which was an ancient empire in western Tibet.
  • The Garuda Valley was the heart of the Zhangzhung Empire, which extended across the nearby Himalayas.
  • The Zhangzhung built a grand palace called Kyunglung in the Upper Sutlej Valley, the ruins of which are still visible today near the village of Moincêr, southwest of Mount Kailash (Mount Ti-se).
  • Eventually, the Tibetan Empire conquered the Zhangzhung civilization.

The Sutlej River in the Sikh Empire

  • The Sutlej River marked the eastern boundary of the Sikh Empire during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
  • The river also served as a significant geographical marker in the region during the era of the Sikh Empire.

Nomadic Inhabitants

  • Today, the Sutlej Valley is inhabited by nomadic descendants of the Zhangzhung, who primarily live in small villages as yak herders.

Transportation Role in the 18th Century

  • In the early 18th century, the Sutlej River played a key role as a transportation route for the movement of devdar woods to places like Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts.

Mythological Significance

  • In mythology, the Sutlej River was one of the four rivers (along with Indus, Brahmaputra, and Karnali/Ganges) believed to flow from the sacred Lake Manasarovar.
  • However, the Sutlej is physically connected by channels that are usually dry.

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