Chenab

The Chenab is a major river in the northern Indian subcontinent and a principal tributary of the Indus River system. It is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. From there it flows generally southwest, passing through the Indian union territories and states of Jammu and Kashmir before entering Pakistan’s Punjab province, where it joins the Indus. The river is about 960 kilometers in length and forms a significant part of the Indus basin.

The name Chenab is often said to derive from the names of its sources, Chandra and Bhaga, though etymologies vary. The Chenab supports substantial irrigation and hydroelectric infrastructure. In India, several hydroelectric projects have been developed along its course, notably the Salal, Dulhasti, and Baglihar plants. In Pakistan, the river’s waters are allocated for irrigation under the Indus Basin irrigation system, with extensive canal networks that serve large agricultural areas in Punjab.

Environmental and geopolitical context surrounds the Chenab as a key water resource in the Indus system. The river is subject to seasonal variability in flow and sedimentation, and dam construction has ecological and social implications. As a component of the Indus Waters Treaty framework, the Chenab remains central to cross-border water management between India and Pakistan.