Ujh River
The Ujh river (or Ujjh river) is a tributary of the Ravi River that flows through the Kathua district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
| Ujh Ujjh | |
|---|---|
  Mouth of the Ujh River  Ujh River (India) | |
| Location | |
| Country | India, Pakistan |
| State | Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, India |
| District | Kathua, Narowal, Pathankot |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kailash mountains |
| • coordinates | 32.810570°N 75.617202°E |
| • elevation | 4,300 m (14,100 ft) |
| Mouth | Ravi River |
• coordinates | 32.1891°N 75.3638°E |
Course
The Ujh river originates in Kailash mountains (near Bhaderwah hills, part of the Pir Panjal Range) at an altitude of 4,300 metres (14,100 ft). It flows a distance of nearly 100 kilometres (62 mi), some of it in Pakistani Punjab, before joining Ravi near Chak Ram Sahai in Indian Punjab.[1] The average width of the river in the plains is about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi).[2]
Four streams, Bhini, Sutar, Dunarki and Talan join Ujh at Panjtirthi. Ujh and Bhini are perennial rivers. The rest are seasonal.[1]
At Karandi Khurd (32.4106°N 75.3991°E), the Ujh river spins off a 'western branch', which joins back with the main branch near Gharotta in Pakistani Punjab (32.2774°N 75.3430°E). Even though it is but a small stream, the western branch achieved notability as Cyril Radcliffe defined the India–Pakistan border to follow the course of this branch until reaching the trijunction of the Shakargarh, Pathankot and Gurdaspur tehsils. From the trijunction, the border was to follow the tehsil boundaries.[3]
Water utilisation
The water of Ujh river is used for drinking, irrigation and to feed a number of small canals and khuls of the district. It is also used to transport timber from hills to the plains and provides construction materials such as sand and stones.[2]
Ujh Barrage has been constructed on this river at Jasrota village (32.4728°N 75.4174°E).[2] A new Ujh dam is proposed higher up the course of the river as it passes through the outer hills (32.5633°N 75.4878°E). The dam is projected to store 925 million cubic metres of water and generate 196 MW of electricity.[4][5]
References
- Jain, Sharad K.; Agarwal, Pushpendra K.; Singh, Vijay P. (2007), Hydrology and Water Resources of India, Springer Science & Business Media, p. 482, ISBN 978-1-4020-5180-7
- "Official Site". Kathua.gov.in. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- Aggarwal, J. C.; Agrawal, S. P. (1992), Modern History of Punjab: A Look Back Into Ancient Peaceful Punjab Focusing Confrontation and Failures Leading to Present Punjab Problem, and a Peep Ahead : Relevant Select Documents, Concept Publishing Company, p. 60, paragraphs 1 and 2, ISBN 978-81-7022-431-0
- India to expedite 3 projects to stop its share of Indus waters from flowing into Pakistan, The Economic Times, 25 November 2018.
- Ujh Multipurpose Project, Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited.