35 Jhelum River Facts: Know More About This Unique River!

The Jhelum River is a river of north-western India as well as eastern and northern Pakistan.

The Jhelum River is the westernmost and largest of the five major rivers of the Punjab that combine with the Indus River in Pakistan after passing through the Wular Lake. Jhelum City is located along the river banks of the Jhelum River.

The Jhelum River is one of the tributaries of the vast River Indus. The river begins from Pir Panjal Range and passes through the lavish green plains and flourishing meadows of the valley of Kashmir. Walking along the river’s banks, you can witness some of the breath-taking and finest natural scenery besides the flowing river. Similar to the River Chenab, the Jhelum River also inspires not only writers and poets but also the brave soldiers of the land. The river compellingly flows through some major towns of Punjab and instills a love for the motherland in the soldiers’ hearts.

The town of Jhelum, that is situated on the western side of the river, was famous for providing soldiers to the British Army before India’s freedom. Later, after the formation of Pakistan, Jhelum continued to produce brave soldiers who fought courageously for their motherland. So, Jhelum is often called the City of Soldiers or the Land of Martyrs. Victoria Bridge, which is also known as the Haranpur Bridge, is an important bridge over this river system.

Read some interesting facts about this river system, before it ends up in the Arabian Sea.

Fun Facts About The Jhelum River

There are several fun facts about the Jhelum River:

• The town of Jhelum is named after the Jhelum River
• Vitasta was the old name of the river.
• The Jhelum River flows between India and Pakistan.
• Neelum River is the largest tributary of the River Jhelum.
• The River Jhelum is the largest of all five rivers of the Punjab.
• The Jhelum River is the most important tributary of the Chenab River and has an overall length of 508 mi (813 km).
• The River Jhelum is called Vyeth in Sanskrit and Jehlam in Urdu.
• The Jhelum River was considered one of the most important rivers for the Indo-Aryans.
• The primeval Greeks also regarded the river as a god.
• The Jhelum River is a tributary of the River Indus, with a total length of 450 mi (725 km).

Geographical Facts About The Jhelum River

There are different geographical facts about the Jhelum River that will surely intrigue you. Here are some of the most captivating facts:

• The Jhelum River starts from the Verinag Spring, located at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the southern side of the valley of Kashmir.
• The river flows via the Wular Lake and Srinagar in Kashmir before it enters Pakistan through a narrow and deep valley.
• The mesmerizing and stunning Neelum River is the major tributary of Jhelum River that joins at Muzaffarabad.
• The Jhelum River flows via the Kaghan Valley and meets with the stunning Kunhar River. Tourists are sometimes mesmerized by the flowing sound of its waters and gentle change of colors.
• After Kunhar River, it flows via Kashmir’s Kohala Bridge and joins the Poonch River. Then it flows to the seventh-largest earth-filled water reservoir of the world, Mangla Dam in Mirpur.
• Then the Jhelum River enters the Punjab’s Jhelum district and continues to flow through the area, creating a boundary between Sindh Sagar and Chaj Doabs.
• The river finally merges with the Chenab River at Jhang district’s Trimmu.
• Then Chenab River combines with the Sutlej River and forms the River Panjnad, that ultimately merges with the River Indus at Mithankot.

The Jhelum River's Significance

Some important aspects related to the significance of this river and its major tributaries for the Punjab region are:

• The basin of the Jhelum River is regarded as a storehouse of medicinal plants. The river’s water contains several medicinal qualities and various natural medicines and herbs grow near the river. These plants are used by pharmaceutical industries.
• Over the years, the Jhelum River area has served as a major tourist destination for sightseeing, entertainment, and accommodation.
• The river attracts tourists to the Kashmir Valley in India. Various kinds of birds sail across the river and add beauty to the location.
• Pakistan and India’s economy also depends on the Jhelum River. Hence, people who live near the basin of the river have their livelihoods inextricably bound to the river, with various activities such as fishing, boating, and crop cultivation.
• The river serves the needs of drinking water for the people of both Pakistan and India. The water of the Jhelum River is a rich source of electricity generation in India.
• Kishenganga Hydroelectric Power Plant and Uri Dam provide electricity to Jammu and Kashmir as well as other neighboring states.
• The Mangla Dam provides water to the major cities of Pakistan.
• The basin of the Jhelum River is home to several geologically and culturally significant sites, along with numerous pilgrimage sites like Sufi shrines near the river’s basin that are often visited by tourists throughout the year.

Facts About Dams On The Jhelum River

There are various facts related to the Jhelum River's dams, including:

• The Mangla Dam is a multipurpose dam which is located on the River Jhelum, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Mirpur District.
• The dam is considered the world’s seventh-largest dam, and got its name from the village of Mangla situated at the dam’s mouth.
• The dam was built in 1965 by the government of Pakistan.
• It is an embankment dam with a height of 482 ft (146 m) and a length of 10,302 ft (3,140 m).
• The Mangla Dam was planned mainly for increasing the quantity of water for irrigation from the Jhelum River as well as its tributaries.
• The secondary purpose of the dam has been to generate electrical power.
• The dam, although not originally designed as part of the planning process, also functions to control floods by collecting water during the monsoon’s flood-prone period.
• It became damaged during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, because of bombardment by the Indian Air Force. This contravenes an international agreement that specified that, in war, large water dams cannot be targeted.
• Therefore, the hydro project has been temporarily stopped. The water level in the dam touched a record height of 1237.15 ft (377 m) on September 1, 2013.
• It was reported by Radio Pakistan that the dam’s water level reached a height of 1237.15 ft (377 m) and is still rising.
• The Uri Dam is a 480 MW hydroelectric power station, which is located on the River Jhelum close to Uri in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
• The station is situated nearby the Line of Control, the border between Pakistan and India, and is mainly constructed under a mountain with a 6.2 mi (10 km) subway.
• The station is of the run-of-the-river type and does not have a huge dam as, through the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan got exclusive rights for controlling the River Jhelum.
• It cost approximately $660 million (£483 million) to build the station and was completed in 1997.
• The government hydropower board NHPC operates the station, which was extended in 1998, and the 250 MW Uri-II plant was built.
• However, the Pakistani Government opposed it by specifying that it would violate the Indus Waters Treaty.
• Despite the objection from Pakistan, a new plan, the 240 MW Uri-II Power Project, was inaugurated on July 4, 2014.
• As a part of the Indus River system, the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas rivers rise in India, while the Indus and Sutlej rise in Tibet, and the Kabul River rises in Afghanistan.