Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · Facts as of 1 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Scope. Punjab means "land of five rivers" (panj = five, ab = water): the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. After 1947 only the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej flow in Indian Punjab; the Ghaggar and seasonal streams drain the southeast.
1. The main rivers in Indian Punjab
| River | Vedic name | Origin | Length (approx.) | Course in Punjab | Joins / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutlej | Shutudri | Rakshas Tal (Rakas Lake) near Mansarovar, Tibet | 1,450 km (about 1,050 km in India) | Enters Punjab at Nangal (Ropar) after the Bhakra Gorge; flows west past Ludhiana | Joins the Beas at Harike; forms the Punjab–Pakistan border near Fazilka; the longest of the five rivers |
| Beas | Vipasa | Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh | about 470 km | Enters near Mand (Hoshiarpur); forms boundary between Hoshiarpur–Kapurthala | Joins the Sutlej at Harike; wholly within India |
| Ravi | Parushni | Bara Bhangal (Kangra), Himachal Pradesh | about 720 km | Flows along the Punjab–Pakistan border near Gurdaspur | Joins the Chenab in Pakistan; "river of Lahore" |
| Ghaggar | (Saraswati identified by some) | Shiwalik hills, near Kalka (Himachal) | — | A seasonal river through Patiala and Sangrur | Absorbed in the Thar; a non-perennial stream |
Harike Wetland (Hari-ke-Pattan): the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej (Tarn Taran/Ferozepur border) is a Ramsar site (declared 1990) and a bird sanctuary.
Tributaries and drainage features
- Choes (seasonal streams) of the Shiwalik foothills flow into the main rivers.
- Bein rivers — East Bein and West Bein — tributaries of the Beas/Sutlej, important in Doaba; the Kali Bein at Sultanpur Lodhi is associated with Guru Nanak.
- Tangri, Markanda, Sirhind Choe — tributaries of the Ghaggar.
- Budha Nala — a polluted drain of Ludhiana joining the Sutlej.
2. Indus Waters Treaty (1960)
- Signed on 19 September 1960 at Karachi by Nehru, Ayub Khan and a World Bank representative.
- Eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, Ravi → allocated to India.
- Western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab → allocated to Pakistan (India may use them for limited non-consumptive purposes).
- This treaty led India to develop the Bhakra–Nangal and Beas projects for the use of its share.
3. Major canals
| Canal | Source | Region served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirhind Canal | Sutlej at Rupar (Ropar) headworks | Patiala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Faridkot, Bathinda (Malwa) | Built 1870–82; one of the oldest major canals; carries water to the southern plains |
| Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) | Ravi at Madhopur | Gurdaspur, Amritsar | Opened 1879; the Madhopur headworks lie near Pathankot |
| Bist Doab Canal | Sutlej at Ropar | Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala | Built in the 20th century |
| Bhakra Main Line | Nangal barrage / Bhakra Dam | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan | Carries Bhakra water; feeds Sirhind and Rajasthan systems |
| Sirhind Feeder | Harike / Ferozepur | Faridkot, Muktsar, Bathinda | Feeds the Rajasthan system |
| Rajasthan Feeder (Indira Gandhi Canal) | Harike Barrage | Rajasthan (Thar) | The Rajasthan Feeder begins at Harike and enters Rajasthan; it is the main head of the Indira Gandhi Canal |
| Eastern Canal | Sutlej at Ferozepur/Hussainiwala | Ferozepur, Fazilka | Serves the south-west |
- Harike Barrage (opened in 1952) is the major head-works of the Sirhind Feeder and Rajasthan Feeder.
- Ferozepur Headworks (Sutlej) and Hussainiwala Headworks — important for the Eastern Canal.
- Punjab has one of the densest canal networks in India, with a large part of cropped land irrigated by canals and tubewells.