Ravi River
Ravi River Iravati River | |
---|---|
Himachal Pradesh, India | |
Mouth | Chenab River |
• location | Near Sarai Sidhu, Punjab, Pakistan |
Length | 720 km (450 mi) |
Basin size | India and Pakistan |
Discharge | |
• average | 267.5 m3/s (9,450 cu ft/s) (near Mukesar[2]) |
• maximum | 11,015.23 m3/s (388,999 cu ft/s) (near Baloki) |
Basin features | |
River system | Indus River System |
Tributaries | |
• right | Siul |
30°35′N 71°49′E / 30.583°N 71.817°E
The Ravi River (
Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers (Sutlej and Beas River) were allocated to India. Subsequently, the Indus Basin Project was developed in Pakistan, which transfers waters from western rivers of the Indus system to replenish the portion of the Ravi River lying in that country. Many inter-basin water transfers, irrigation, hydropower and multipurpose projects have been built in India.
History
According to ancient history traced to
Part of the
Geography
The Ravi River, a transboundary river of India and Pakistan, is an integral part of the Indus River Basin and forms the headwaters of the Indus basin. The waters of the Ravi River drain into the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean) through the
River course
- Source reach
The Ravi River originates in the
Another major tributary that joins the Ravi River, just below Bharmour, the old capital of Chamba, is the Seul River from the northern direction. The valley formed by the river was also exploited for its rich timber trees. However, the valley has large terraces, which are very fertile and known as "the garden of Chamba". Crops grown here supply grains to the capital region and to Dalhousie town and its surrounding areas. One more major tributary that joins the Ravi River near Basohli (J&K) is the Seva. This river was also exploited for its forest resources, (controlled by the then Raja of Chamba) originating from the Jammu region. The valley is also formed by another major tributary that joins the Seul River, the Baira-Nalla. Its sub-basin is in the Chamba district, located above Tissa. Baira drains the southern slopes of the Pir Panjal Range. The valley has an elevation variation between 5,321 and 2,693 metres (17,457 and 8,835 ft).[10][12][13]
Tant Gari is another small tributary that rises from the subsidiary hill ranges of the Pir Panjal Range east of Bharmour. The valley formed by this stream is U-shaped with a river bed scattered with boulders and glacial morainic deposits.[13]
- Main Ravi River
The main Ravi River flows through the base of Dalhousie hill, past the Chamba town. It is at an elevation of 856 metres (2,807 ft) (where a long wooden bridge existed to cross the Ravi River).[14] It flows into the south-west, near Dalhousie, and then cuts a gorge in the Dhauladhar Range, before entering the Punjab plain near Madhopur and Pathankot. It then flows along the Indo–Pak border for 80 kilometres (50 mi) before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab River. The total length of the river is about 725 kilometres (450 mi).[3]
The Ujh River is another major tributary of the Ravi River. Its source is in the Kailash mountains at an elevation of 4,300 metres (14,100 ft), close to the Bhaderwah Mountains in the Jammu district. After flowing for 100 kilometres (62 mi), it joins Ravi at Nainkot in Pakistan.
As the Ravi flows past
- Change of river course
According to satellite imagery studies carried out over a period of 20 years (between 1972–1973 and 1991–1993), the river coursing along the India–Pakistan border meanders substantially in the alluvial plains of the Amritsar, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab. This has resulted in successive damage in India as a result of the river changing its course towards India. The reason attributed to this change in the course of the river is massive river training structures/bunds constructed by Pakistan in its part of the river, close to the old course of the river. The shift in the course of the river is reported to be 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) towards India.[15]
- River water pollution
In the transboundary Ravi River flowing from India to Pakistan, in urban areas of Lahore the pollution levels in the river discharge are reportedly very high, which is attributed to careless disposal of large amount of industrial and agricultural wastewater and faulty drainage systems in both countries.[16] A 72-kilometre (45 mi) stretch of the Ravi River from Lahore Siphon to Baloki headworks indicates heavy contamination of the water and sediment with Cd, Cr, Pt, and Cu. Recent reports suggest that the river stands as the most contaminated globally, with pharmaceutical residues such as paracetamol, nicotine, caffeine, and medications for epilepsy and diabetes detected in its waters.[17] The river sediments are highly contaminated and have become a secondary source for pollution of the river water, even though some control over unauthorised discharges into the river have been checked. Hence, measures to check metal re-mobilization from sediments into the river flows need attention. The worst affected drainage is the Hadharaam drain, a tributary of the Ravi River. It is also a trans-border problem involving both India and Pakistan. A UNDP funded special programme was launched in 2006 to address the issue in both countries.[16]
Vegetation
The northern portion surrounding the Ravi is the lifeline of many different flora, notably deodar, walnut, holly oak, mulberry, alder, edible pine, Himalayan cypress, chinar, Daphne papyracea, north Indian rosewood, olive, and Toxicodendron acuminatum.[18][19]
Hydrology
The waters of the Ravi River are allocated to India under the
Pre-partition utilisation
On the Ravi River, the earliest project built was the
Hydropower
The hydropower potential of the Ravi River system has been assessed at 2294 MW,[23] of which only 1638 MW has been harnessed cumulatively, thus leaving 656 MW wasted opportunity.[24] The hydropower potential developed since the 1980s is through the installation of the Baira Suil Hydroelectric Power Project of 198 MW capacity, the Chamera-I of 540 MW capacity commissioned in 1994, the Ranjitsagar Multipurpose Project of 600 MW capacity completed in 1999 and the Chamera-II of 300 MW capacity in the upstream of Chamera-I commissioned in 2004.[24]
Multipurpose development
The major multipurpose project (
A proposal for building a storage dam on the Ravi River was initially planned in 1912, envisaging a 61 metres (200 ft) high dam. A committee later conducted a survey of the area, but it was not until 1954 that geologists fully inspected the project area. In 1957, a storage Dam was proposed on the Ravi River for irrigation purposes only. The power generation aspect was not considered then. It was only in 1964 that the project was conceived for multipurpose development and submitted to Government of India for approval. Finally, in April 1982, the project was approved for construction by the Government of India.
The project, as built now, has a 160-metre (520 ft) high earth gravel shell dam with a gross irrigation potential of 348,000 hectares (860,000 acres) of land and power generation of 600 MW (4 units of 150 MW capacity each).[25][27][28]
The
International water-sharing treaty
The upper reaches of the main Indus River and its tributaries lie in India whereas the lower reaches are in Pakistan. Following the partition of India in August 1947, a dispute arose between India and Pakistan on sharing of the waters of the
The Indus system of rivers comprises the three Western rivers in the Indus, the
Under this treaty, the two countries also agreed to exchange data and co-operate in matters related to the treaty. For this purpose, the treaty envisaged the creation of the Permanent Indus Commission, with a commissioner appointed by each country.[33] The Indus Waters Treaty is the only international treaty that has been implemented over the last 60 years with due diligence and sincerity by both India and Pakistan, in spite of many wars fought between the two countries (the treaty was not revoked either by India or Pakistan during the 1965 or the 1971 war).[30][35]
Interstate water dispute
Even prior to the
As a counterclaim to the exclusive claims of Punjab, Haryana claims that a small part of Haryana state lying north in Panchkula district[37] is part of the Sutlej river basin area in addition to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in India. Thus Haryana claims to be a riparian state of the Indus river basin.
Following the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966, Haryana State was created. This was followed by a notification by the Government of India dated 24 March 1976 allocating the surplus waters between Punjab and Haryana in due consideration of the powers conferred by Sub Section (I) of Section 78 of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 (31 of 1966). The allocation was challenged in the Supreme Court by Haryana. A tripartite agreement followed on 31 December 1981, based on the revised mean annual flows from the flow series of 1921–60 assessed as 25.36 cubic kilometres (20,560,000 acre⋅ft)—including preparation use of 3.86 cubic kilometres (3,130,000 acre⋅ft) and transit losses in the Madhopur Beas Link of 260,000 acre-feet (0.32 km3)—vis-a-vis the figure of 19.55 cubic kilometres (15,850,000 acre⋅ft) assessed in earlier allocation, which was based on the flow series of 1921–45. The revised assessed surplus supplies of 17,170,000 acre-feet (21.18 km3) (from flow and storage) was allocated as:[21]
Share of Punjab 4.22 million acre-ft (MAF); Share of Haryana 3.50 MAF; Share of Rajasthan 8.60 MAF; Quantity earmarked for Delhi Water supply 0.20 MAF; Share of Jammu & Kashmir 0.65MAF with some specific provisions.[21]
However, the legality of this agreement was challenged by Punjab. This was followed by the
The farmers of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan will continue to get water not less than what they are using from the Ravi Beas system as on 1.7.1985. Waters used for consumptive purposes will also remain unaffected. Quantum of usage claimed shall be verified by the Tribunal referred to in paragraph 9.2 below.
9.2 The claim of Punjab and Haryana regarding the shares in their remaining waters shall be referred for adjudication to a Tribunal to be presided over by Supreme Court Judge. The decision of this Tribunal will be rendered within six months and would be binding on both parties. All legal and constitutional steps in this respect to be taken expeditiously;
9.3 The construction of Sutlej Yamuna Link (S.Y.L.) canal shall continue. The canal shall be completed by August 1986.[21]
Following the above accord, Ravi & Beas Waters Tribunal (RBWT) came to be set up in April 1986, in pursuance of paragraphs 9.1 & 9.2 of Punjab Settlement (Rajiv-Longowal Accord, 1985) inter-alia to adjudicate the claims of Punjab and Haryana in Ravi-Beas waters. The Terms of Reference were set and also the time for submission of the report. The Tribunal submitted its report on 30 January 1987. However, the report was contested as Rajasthan also moved an application "seeking explanation and guidance regarding the report of this Ravi Beas waters Tribunal, 1987". The Tribunal is further examining the matter. It is yet to submit its further report to the Government on the pleas submitted by the party States and the Central Government also seeking explanation/guidance on its earlier report. In the meantime, a Presidential reference on Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 is pending before the Honorable Supreme Court. Hence, the further hearings of the Tribunal and its final report are now enjoined on the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing of the Presidential reference.[21][38] The presently incomplete SYL link canal, to connect the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers to transfer Haryana's share of water,[39][40] is now stuck in a dispute in the Supreme Court of India due to objections by Punjab.[39][41]
Punjab is contemplating to construct 206 MW
Interbasin water transfer
Transfer of surplus water from one basin to another, termed as
See also
- Indian Rivers Inter-link
- Inland waterways of India
- Irrigation in India
- Rivers of Jammu and Kashmir
- Sapta Sindhu
- Indus Waters Treaty
- Ranjit Sagar Dam Project
- Ayeyarwady River
Notes
- Bari Doab or Majha – between the Ravi and the Beas River.
References
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- ^ "Gauging Station - Data Summary". ORNL. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Ravi River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ISBN 0-7661-3695-7. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ISBN 9788126003655. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ Modi, Sir Jivanji Jamshedji (1954). The influence of Iran on other countries. K.R. Cama Oriental Institute. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland Volume 6. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society. 1841. p. 369. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
Hydraotes.
- ISBN 9789351940739.
- ^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Hydraotes
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4020-5179-1. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ "Executive Summary of Environmental Impact Assessment Report Bajoli Holi H. E. Project (180 MW)Chamba, Himachal Pradesh" (PDF). R. S. Envirolink Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 2010. p. 18. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ a b Cleghorn 2001, pp. 109–112
- ^ a b c "Ravi River in Himachal". Himachal World.com. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ Cleghorn 2001, p. 113
- S2CID 140634479.
- ^ a b "Pakistan, India Join Hands to Clean Canal". River Basin Initiative. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ Lai, Olivia (11 May 2022). "Pakistan's Ravi is Most Polluted River in the World from Pharmaceutical Pollution". Earth.Org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Cleghorn 2001, pp. 6
- ^ Cleghorn 2001, pp. 112–113
- ^ "Pages 261 and 291, Report Of The Ravi- Beas Water Tribunal Report (1987)" (PDF). Central Water Commission. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Brief Note on Ravi, Beas and Sutlej system". Ravi River. Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan.
- ISBN 978-1-4832-1527-3
- ^ "Base Line set up of the area" (PDF). Satlu Vidyut Nigam Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b Dr. Mohinder Kumar Slariya. "The Other Side of Hydroelectric Power Development:-A Study of NHPC Owned Power Projects" (PDF). Government PG College, Chamba Himachal Pradesh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Ranjit Sagar Dam (Hydro Electric Project) 4 X 150 MW". Punjab State Electricity Board. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ "Information on some major projects". Ranjit Sagar Dam. Central Water Commission: National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Punjab". Irrigation. India.gov.in. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Hydropower potential in India".[permanent dead link]
- ^ The Indian geographical journal, Volume 60. Indian Geographical Society. 1985. p. 188. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b "The Indus waters Treaty A South Asia Program". Stimson.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ "Water Sharing Conflicts Between Countries, and Approaches to Resolving Them" (PDF). Honolulu: Global Environment and Energy in the 21st century. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ISBN 81-7008-068-1. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Indus Waters Treaty 1960" (PDF). Site Resources; World Bank. pp. 1–24.
- ^ "Water Sharing Conflicts Between Countries, and Approaches to Resolving Them" (PDF). Honolulu: Global Environment and Energy in the 21st century. p. 98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ "War over water". Guardian. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ "water sharing Conflicts within Countries" (PDF). Honolulu: Global Environment and Energy in the 21st century. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ "Wet lands of Haryana state (page 27)" (PDF). GoI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ "River Water Disputes". Government of India. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b [1] Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ministry of Water Resources: Rajya Sabha". Press Information Bureau. 4 March 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- Times of India, 9 March 2018.
- ^ "Shahpur kandi HEP – PSPCL". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Punjab Loses Teeth, J&K Gets a Canal – Free Press Kashmir". 23 April 2013. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Agreement between Punjab and J&K on Ranjit Sagar Dam, etc" (PDF). 1979. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ Garg, p.98
External links
- Indian climate change from Harappa period.
- Indus river's transition. Archived 23 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- Cleghorn, H. (2001). Report upon the forests of the Punjab and the Western Himalaya. Indus Publishing. pp. 109–112. )
- Garg, Santosh Kumar (1999). International and interstate river water disputes. Laxmi Publications. pp. 54–55. ISBN 81-7008-068-1. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- Jain, Sharad.K.; Pushpendra K. Agarwal; Vijay P. Singh (2007). Hydrology and Water Resources of India. Springer. pp. 481–484. ISBN 978-1-4020-5179-1. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- The Indian geographical journal, Volume 60. Indian Geographical Society. 1985. p. 188. Retrieved 14 April 2010.