How Many Rivers in Pakistan?

Pakistan is blessed with a number of rivers running through different parts of the country. These rivers are crucial for irrigation, hydropower, drinking water and ecological equilibrium. The five major rivers are tributaries of the Indus River system and there are numerous smaller rivers.

Main Rivers of Pakistan:

1. Indus River
   
2. Jhelum River
   
3. Chenab River
   
4. Ravi River
   
5. Sutlej River
   

Other Rivers of Pakistan:

• Kabul River
  
• Swat River
  
• Dasht River
  
• Hingol River
  
• Hub River
  

1. Indus River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Tibetan Plateau (Lake Manasarovar, China)
Entry into Pakistan	Through Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 2,000 km
Total Length	Approx. 3,180 km
Tributaries	Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Kabul, Swat, Tochi, Gomal, Kurram
Provinces Covered	Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh
Uses	Irrigation, hydroelectric power, drinking water, agriculture
Major Dams	Tarbela Dam, Diamer-Bhasha Dam (under construction), Kalabagh (proposed)
Major Cities Along It	Skardu, Dera Ismail Khan, Sukkur, Hyderabad
Significance	Lifeline of Pakistan agriculture, supports the Indus Basin Irrigation System

2. Jhelum River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Verinag Spring, Indian administered Kashmir
Entry into Pakistan	Near Mirpur, Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 725 km
Tributaries	Neelum River, Kunhar River
Province Covered	Azad Kashmir, Punjab
Uses	Irrigation, hydropower, domestic water supply
Major Dams	Mangla Dam
Major Cities Along It	Jhelum, Mangla, Mirpur
Significance	Major contributor to Mangla Dam reservoir, essential for Punjab agriculture

3. Chenab River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Himachal Pradesh, India (Chandra & Bhaga Rivers)
Entry into Pakistan	Near Sialkot, Punjab
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 960 km
Tributaries	Tawi, Manawar Tawi, Poonch River
Province Covered	Punjab
Uses	Agriculture, irrigation, hydroelectricity
Major Dams	Marala Headworks, Trimmu Barrage, Panjnad Headworks
Major Cities Along It	Gujrat, Jhang, Multan
Significance	Critical part of the Indus Basin Irrigation System

4. Ravi River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Himachal Pradesh, India
Entry into Pakistan	Near Lahore, Punjab
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 720 km
Province Covered	Punjab
Uses	Irrigation, drainage
Major Dams/Barrages	Shahdara Headworks, Balloki Barrage
Major Cities Along It	Lahore, Shahdara
Significance	Once a lifeline of Lahore, flow greatly reduced due to upstream usage

5. Sutlej River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Lake Rakshastal, Tibet
Entry into Pakistan	Near Bahawalpur, Punjab
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 550 km
Province Covered	Punjab
Uses	Irrigation, limited water flow due to upstream diversions
Major Dams/Barrages	Sulemanki Headworks, Islam Headworks
Major Cities Along It	Bahawalnagar, Fort Abbas
Significance	Supports agriculture in southern Punjab, flow limited due to water treaties

6. Kabul River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Sanglakh Range, Afghanistan
Entry into Pakistan	Near Khyber Pass, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Length in Pakistan	Approx. 560 km
Province Covered	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Uses	Irrigation, domestic use, hydropower
Major Dams	Warsak Dam
Major Cities Along It	Peshawar, Nowshera, Attock
Significance	Major water source for Peshawar Valley

7. Swat River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Hindu Kush Mountains
Length	Approx. 240 km
Province Covered	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Uses	Irrigation, tourism, electricity
Major Dams	Proposed hydro projects in Kalam Valley
Major Cities Along It	Swat, Mingora, Chakdara
Significance	Supports agriculture and tourism in northern KPK

8. Hingol River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Central Balochistan
Length	Approx. 350 km
Province Covered	Balochistan
Uses	Seasonal irrigation, ecosystem support
Major Cities Along It	Hingol National Park area
Significance	Environmental importance, flows through Pakistan largest national park

9. Dasht River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Kech Valley, Balochistan
Length	Approx. 430 km
Province Covered	Balochistan
Uses	Seasonal farming, flood channels
Major Infrastructure	Mirani Dam
Significance	Supports agriculture in arid regions

10. Hub River

Attribute	Details
Origin	Pab Range, Balochistan
Length	Approx. 134 km
Provinces Covered	Balochistan, Sindh
Uses	Drinking water for Karachi, industrial use
Major Infrastructure	Hub Dam
Significance	Critical for Karachi’s water supply

Pakistan has over 10 major rivers with the five rivers of the Indus River System forming the backbone of its agriculture, economy and water supply. These rivers:

• Support the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world.
  
• Supply water for over 200 million people.
  
• Power major hydroelectric projects.
  

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