Rivers of Pakistan

Pakistan, a Muslim country located in South Asia, is blessed with so many rivers. These rivers are used for the purpose of irrigations and drinking. Some of the important rivers are as under:

INDUS RIVER:
The Indus River is the longest and most important river in Pakistan. The River Indus originating in the Tibetan plateau flows through the Northern Areas, Jammu and
Kashmir, and through the Northern and Southern directions of the entire country and then merges into the Arabian Sea near Karachi, Pakistan. The total length of the river is 3200 km and its total drainage area is 450,000 square miles. The estimated annual flow of the river stands around 207 cubic km.The Indus River is largely feed by the snow and glaciers of Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalaya ranges of Tibet, Kashmir and Northern Areas of Pakistan. Kabul River joins it near Attock. After passing through Attock, its route to the sea is in plains of Punjab and Sindh. Together with the five rivers of Punjab, River Kabul, the Indus forms the Septa Sindhu (seven rivers) in the province of Sindh. It has 20 major tributaries. The Indus provides the key water resources for the economy of Pakistan. It is the official and national River of Pakistan.

KABUL RIVER

The Kabul River rises in the Sanglakh range in Afghanistan, 45 miles west of Kabul and passes through the cities of Chaharbagh, Jalalabad and flow into Pakistan some 30 km north of the Khyber Pass, Nowshera. It flows 700 km before joining the Indus River near Attock. The major tributaries of the Kabul River are the Lugar, Panjsher, Kunar and Alingar rivers. Its largest tributary is the Kunar River. The Kunar River meets the Kabul River near Jalalabad. The Kabul River valley is a natural route for traveling between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Alexander the great of Macedonia used it to invade India in 4th century B.C.

SWAT RIVER
The Swat River flows through the valley of Kalam from the Hindu Kush Mountains. The Swat River joins the River Kabul near Charsadda, in Peshawar valley. The Swat River irrigates large areas of Swat District and contributes to the fishing industry of the region. Ayub Bridge is one of the attractions for visitors. The scenery attracts many tourists from all over Pakistan during the summer. The total length of the river is 250 km from Kalam to the River Kabul. Many large and small tributaries like Gahil, Daral, Mankial, Barwai and Marghazar etc. join the river along its course. There are two main hydro-electric projects on canals from the Swat River which generate electricity for local usages. The River Swat plays an important role in the economic life of the valley.

GOMAL RIVER
The Gomal River rises from South-east of Ghazni, Afghanistan flowing into Pakistan. The Gomal River surrounds South Waziristan agency forms the boundary between the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan. From South Waziristan, the river enters the Gomal valley in District Tank, NWFP. The water of the River Gomal is used for cultivation in Gomal valley. The river passes then through the Damman plains in Kulachi Tehsil and later on through Dera Ismail Khan.