RIVER SYSTEM AND WATER RESOURCES

Nature has been kind enough to Kashmir to provide it with ample water resources which comprise rivers, lakes, springs, glaciers and under-ground water resources. A brief description of these is given as follows :

RIVERS:

The   principal river of the region is the Jehlum which is locally called Veth, a direct phonetic derivative of the ancient Sanskrit Vitasta. “The name Jehlum it has got from the town in the Punjab beneath which it flows.”

According to a legend, the river is a manifestation of Parvati  who, on the request of Kashyapa, incarnated herself in Kashmir in the shape of river.

The main source of the Jehlum is a Spring at Verinag and , in its course through the valley , it carries the waters of a host of streams  that flow down from the bordering mountain slopes.On its right bank, the Jehlum receives the waters of Sandrain,Bringi, Arapatkol,Lidder,Arapal,Harwan,Sind,Erin, Madumati,Pohru and Viji-Dakil.The left benk tributaries include Vishav, Romsi Ara, Sarsara,Romushi,Dodhganga,Sukhang, Firozpura and Ningal.

 
The streams of the Sandran and the Bringi rise in Pir Panjal range, while the Arapatkol rises below the Niltup and Astanbal peaks in the great Himalya range and also drains the Kutihar valley. The combined waters of these streams merge with Jehlum a little above Khanabal near Anantnag.Again between Khanabal and Gur, the Jehlum receives the waters of the Lidder nallah which is considered to be the first of its major right-bank tributary.The nallah rises at the base of the Kolhoi and the Sheshnag snow fields and drains the whole area on the left and right side of the Lidder  valley.Another tributary of the river Jehlum is commonly known as Wattalara. The stream rises in high mountains and after its flow thorugh Manchhama, Mandura,Tral etc, merges with  the Jehlum at village Charsu, between Awantipora and Sangam.

At Awantipora the Jehlum recieves the waters of  Arapal nallah, rising from the famous Arapal Nag, at a about 10 kms, in the North of Tral Town.Before its confluence with the Jehlum it drainsa long tarct called Wasterwan.On its right bank near Srinagar the Jehlum gets waters of Dal-Lake, which besides having its own source in the shape of spring , drains the slopes of Harwan,Burzakut, Mahadeo, and Sarbal, and some of its feeders originate as high up as the glacial tract west of Tarsar. The river Sind, one of the main tributaries  of the Jehlum, rises below the lofty peaks near Zojila and .in its course of  about 100 kms. is joined by a number of head streams which originate from the snow fields at Amarnath,Kolhoi and Panjtarni.The waters of  this river merge with Jehlum near Shadipora.The streams of Erin and Madumati drain the western and northern flanks of Harmukh,respectively.  The water of these streams, before their merger  with Jehlum, fall into the Wullar Lake through which the river Jehlum passes inits onward march to Bramulla . Between Wullar Lake and  Baramulla, the Jehlum, on its right bank, receives the waters of the Pohru and the Viji streams which drain the north Kashmir mountain range and absorb in them the streams of Lolab, Kahmil, Talar and the Mavar

Among the left bank tributaries, the first river which drains the entire northern face of the Pir Panjal, between Sundertop and Budil Pir, is the  Vishav. Before its confluence with the Jehlum  below Kulgam, the river gets broken off into a number of channels and, one of them merges with the  Romsi Ara near Nyauyun-the village where Jehlum receives the water of Rembiara which rises in the Rupri ridge of the Pir Panjal. Another left-bank feeder of the Jehlum is Romushi nallah which draws its waters from the snowy peak of Kharmarg near Naba Pir pass. After traversing  a course of fifty-one kilometers through  Pakharpur, a village near Charisharief, the nallah merges with the Jehlum near Wudipur, below Awantipora. The Dodhganga river, which rises below the Tatakuti peak, is joined by another stream called Shaliganga near village Wathoora.Its waters are mostly diverted towards the west into marshy land and the remaining water merges with the Jehlum at Safakadal in Srinagar. The Sukhnag and Firozepura nallahs, swell with torrential waters which drains the slopes of Pir Panjal range between the Nurpur and the Chinamarg passes. A large amount of the discharge of these streams merges into the marshes of Rakh Aral, Haigam Jhil and Sultan Purich Rakh.Ningal  nallah is the last tributary of the river Jehlum on its left side. After covering a distance of 38 kms. from its  origin at Khan Pathri and Apharwat peaks of the Pir Panjal range, the Ningal nallah loses its identity in the Jehlum after the latter’s debouchure from the Wullar Lake.

   The length of the river Jehlum from its source to Khadanyar is  159 about 159 kms. From Anantnag to Baramulla,it is navigable throughout its entire course. The fall of the river from Khanabal to the Wullar is 18 metres in 113 kilometers and from its out fall at Sopore to a little distance below Baramulla the slope of the river is very flat, ranging  from 0.152 to 0.305 metres per kilometer. At Khandanyar, the river enters into the rapids and the slope is about 12.192 metres ,per kilometer.

The  average discharge capacity of river Jehlum during various period in a year is given s under:

1. Minimum discharge    (Nov. to Feb)                   ……... 1400 cusecs

2. Normal low-summer discharge (April to Sept.)  ……... 5000 cusecs

3. Normal High-summer discharge(April to Oct.)   ……… 8580 cusecs

 
But, during floods the remaining volume of water piles up, in the lakes, and swamps,like Haukarsar, Naugam and Anchar and in almost the entire strech along the left bank from Khanabal to Srinagar, until the water level in  the river Jehlum comes down and make room for the flood water toflow through the river channels. The Wullar Lake, which is situated at the tail end of the valley , acts as a balancing reservoir for the benefit of the people in the plains, beyond the State territory.

The river Kishenganga, rises in the mountain comlex to the west of Dras and to the south of Deosai plateau and  in  its course through Tilail, Burzahbal, Gurez, receives the waters of tiny streams which drain the Northern Kashmir Mountain range bordering Lolab, Wutr, Shardeh and Karnah etc. The river is known for its hydel power and irrigation potentialities.The gradient of the river is very steep and, therefore, no navigation facilities has been provided so far.Its flow through narrow gorges of Gurez makes it tumultuous river, till it merges with Jehlum near Muzaffarabad.

FLOODS:

The general lay-out of the valley, coupled with other factors, like encourchment on the water courses,construction of bunds along river banks etc. make the valley flood-prone.Vivid accounts of these appear in all the histories  written upto date. The recorded floods during the second half of the present century are those of 1959,1965, 1966,1969,1973,1975, 1976,1985,1986, 1987,1988,1992, 1993, 1995,1996 and 1997. In the devastating floods in 1959, the Wullar Lake attained  the water level of 1580.693 metres above mean sea level (M.S.L) which was the highest recorded till then.The highest flood discharge so far since 1965 has been recorded during the flood of September 1992 as 65305 cusecs.

Highly effective flood control measures are reported to have been undertaken from the earliest times.During Awantiverman’s reign Suyya, the Kashmiri Engineer cleared the blockade at Khandanyar and, simultaneously, changed the course of the river from Shadipora to Banyari. In the time of Maharaja Pratab Singh, Major de-lotbinere built a series of flood spile-channels from above Srinagar up to the Wullar  and introduced mechanized dredging in the out-fall channel below Sopore.

 
Much has been done, since independence, to project the people  from the menacing problem of floods. Besides granting  relief, in case and in kind, to the people of the affected areas, the government ,in recent past, undertook the work of deepening and widening of the out-fall channels and raising and strengthening of embankments. Dredging operations of river Jehlum below Ningli up to Khandyar undertaken in 1960 have helped, to a great extent , increase, otherwise low discharge capacity of the outfall channel

The building of locks, weirs, canals and diversions continue to change the configuration of the country side. A network of Zamindar kuhls and canals, both gravity and lift, on the Jehlum basin irrigate huge tracts of land. A unique experiment of dewatering-cum-irrigation, by way of recycling of water, starting in Sonawari area, has given a great boost to the economy of the area. A large area, which otherwise remained water logged, was brought under cultivation by this method. In water scarcity  areas of north Kashmir, about 120 small/medium tanks have been constructed to store snowmelt and rain water , which is utilized by the Zamindars in irrigating their paddy lands.However, a lot has still to be done in the coming years.Vast stretches of plateau, table-lands await irrigation schemes, being put through.Drainage, a serious problem in the vast stretches of swamps and marshy lands, awaits a proper tackling.