Sutlej
| Sutlej | |
|---|---|
View of Sutlej River | |
| Location | |
| Country | China, India, Pakistan |
| State | Tibet, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab (India), Punjab (Pakistan) |
| Cities | Kalpa, Ludhiana, Vehari, Jallah Jeem, Bahawalpur |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Manasarovar-Rakas Lakes |
| • location | Tibet |
| • coordinates | 29°23′23″N 71°3′42″E / 29.38972°N 71.06167°E |
| • elevation | 4,575 m (15,010 ft) |
| Mouth | Confluence with Chenab to form the Panjnad River |
• location | Near Khairpur, Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan |
• coordinates | 29°23′23″N 71°3′42″E / 29.38972°N 71.06167°E |
• elevation | 102 m (335 ft) |
| Length | 1,450 km (900 mi)approx. |
| Basin size | 395,000 km2 (153,000 sq mi)approx. |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Ropar |
| • average | 500 m3/s (18,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Panjnad, Confluence of Chenab (71 km upstream of mouth) |
| • average | 2,946.66 m3/s (104,060 cu ft/s) 63.613 km3/a (2,015.8 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Baspa |
| • right | Spiti, Beas, Chenab |
The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as Satadru; and is the easternmost tributary of the Indus River. The combination of the Sutlej and Chenab rivers in the plains of Punjab forms the Panjnad, which finally flows into the Indus River at Mithankot.
In India, the Bhakra Dam is built around the river Sutlej to provide irrigation and other facilities to the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana.
The waters of the Sutlej are allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan, and are mostly diverted to irrigation canals in India like the Sirhind Canal, Bhakra Main Line and the Rajasthan canal. The mean annual flow is 14 million acre feet (MAF) (roughly 1.727 × 1013 L) upstream of Ropar barrage, downstream of the Bhakra dam. It has several major hydroelectric points, including the 1,325 MW Bhakra Dam, the 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant, and the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Dam. The drainage basin in India includes the states and union territories of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Ladakh and Haryana.