Ghaggar River

About Ghaggar River:

• It is a seasonal river that flows only during the monsoon season.
• Course:
  • It rises from the Shivalik Range in northwestern Himachal Pradesh. 
  • The river then flows about 200 miles (320 km) southwest through Haryana state to meet the River Saraswati.
  • It eventually dries up in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan.
• This seasonal river feeds two irrigation canals that extend into Rajasthan. 
• The Hakra, which flows in Pakistan, is the continuation of the Ghaggar River in India, and they are together called the Ghaggar - Hakra River.
• Historical Significance:
  • Several historians identify Ghaggar with the.
  • Along the banks of the Ghaggar River, many settlements Vedic Saraswati River of the Indus Valley Civilization have been excavated.
  • Hence, it is believed that the ancient settlements on its banks were the creation of ingenious Vedic Aryans.
  • It is believed that the rivers Sutlej and Yamuna once flowed into the Ghaggar-Hakra river bed.
• Tributaries: The main tributaries of the Ghaggar are the Kaushalya River, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri, and Chautang.

Q1: What is the Shivalik Range?

Shivalik Hills are a sub-Himalayan Mountain Range running 1,600 km long from the Teesta River, Sikkim, through Nepal and India, into northern Pakistan. The range runs parallel with the Himalayan system from Haridwar on the Ganges to the banks of the Beas River. The hills have an average height of 900 to 1,200 m. They are chiefly composed of low sandstone and conglomerate hills, the solidified and up-heaved detritus of the great range in their rear, the intermediate valley lying between the outer hills and the Mussoorie.

Source: Punjab CM Mann reviews flood protection work along Ghaggar river in Sangrur