Chenab River

The Chenab River flows through various districts of the Punjab of Pakistan. In Jammu and Kashmir, it flows through the Jammu region and enters the plains of Punjab. And at the site of Trimmu Barrage in Jhang District, it meets the Jhelum River. And then it joins the river Ravi at Och Sharif and joins the river Sutlej to form Panjnad. Which falls into the Indus River before Kot Mithan.

Chenab is a combination of Chen and Ab. Chen means moon and Ab means water. In Chandra, Hindi and Sanskrit, the Devta is called “Chand”. And also means “Chandrama'” and the moon.

The Chenab passes through different areas, divides into different branches and reaches Tagwal. This is the last area on the border of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan. From here the Chenab enters Pakistani territory. Here it passes through the town of Gangwal, where it first meets the Tiruti Nalla and then the Tawi River from the east. The Tui River, which originates from the Kailash Glacier, flows through the city of Jammu, enters the limits of Sialkot and joins the Chenab.

Pakistan’s first dam, Marala Headworks, has been built on the Chenab, just south of here, on the border of Sialkot and Gujarat districts. The “Dwara Nala” coming from Kashmir near Jalalpur Jattan falls into the Chenab. From here the Chenab flows along the boundaries between the districts of Gujarat and Gujranwala. Gujarat is the first major city of Pakistan to be settled on the banks of Chenab.

The Lahore-Peshawar Central Railway Line and the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) pass through Chenab from the first “Alexander Bridge” near Gujarat. Across the Chenab on the other side of Gujarat is Wazirabad which is famous for its cutlery industry.

As the Chenab begins its journey to the south, the Mandi Bahauddin District begins on its western side. The Chenab forms the boundary between Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts and Chenab joins the Rasul Qadirabad Link Canal on its western bank. On the other side is the town of Hafizabad “Qadirabad” where Qadirabad Barrage built in 1967.

Chenab now enters Chiniot district from Hafizabad. Chenab flows in the middle of Chiniot District, with Chiniot on one side and Chenab Nagar on the other. They are linked by Chenab bridge on which the line and road from Faisalabad to Sargodha also pass. 

Then Chenab enters to Jhang district. The river Jhelum joins it at Trimmu, some distance south of Jhang. This is where Trimmu Headworks is located. The only canal that emerges from this barrage, built in 1939, is the Trimmu-Sidhnai Link Canal. Which carries Chenab water and joins the Sidhnai headworks at the Ravi River in Khanewal. Athara Hazari (Tehsil of the Jhang District) is located here on the other side of Chenab. Near which is the desert of Thal. Jhang ends near Ahmadpur Sial. And it enters the limits of Khanewal where the River Ravi meet in “Satyan Wala”.

Bounding Khanewal and Muzaffargarh districts, it falls to the west of Multan district where Muzaffargarh district is located. Taunsa Panjnad Link Canal is meet with Chinab near Langar Sarai towards Muzaffargarh. Similarly on the other hand, there is Bosan area in Multan which is famous for mango production and cattle breeding. The railway line from Multan to Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu passes through Sher Shah Bridge. Sher Shah Bridge is the main link between Multan and Muzaffargarh.

The Chenab is on its final journey where it passes through Khanpur, Shujaabad, Khangarh, Faizpur, Shahr-e-Sultan, Shahpur and Midwala and reaches Bahawalpur. Here the river Sutlej joins it and a little further on the Muzaffargarh-Bahawalpur border near Alipur comes the “Panjand Headworks“. Here the boundaries of Rahim Yar Khan District begin on its southeastern side.

Next, the Chenab divides into different branches and reaches Basti Ghaghari. Near Basti Ghaghari is the place where the The Chenab meets the Indus River.