Chenab river
Also called: Chandrabhaga · Topic: Drainage System of India: Rivers, Basins and Patterns · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 3 "Drainage System"
Meaning
The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus. It is formed where two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, meet at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. So it is also called the Chandrabhaga. It flows for 1,180 km before entering Pakistan. Under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), it is one of the western rivers given to Pakistan. India may use it only in limited ways that do not consume the water, such as run-of-river power plants (which use the flow without storing much water).
Example
The Chenab rail bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, opened in 2025, is the world's highest railway arch bridge. India's Ratle and Pakal Dul hydropower projects are also on this river.
Don't confuse with
- Panjnad: the name for all five Punjab rivers together, and the single stream they form before joining the Indus. The Chenab is just one of the five.