Chambal River

Chambal is one of the main rivers of central Indian and one of the major tributaries of Yamuna. It originates in Janapav near Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) in the Vindhaya mountain range in West Central India. In the epic Mahabharata, Chambal is mentioned as Charmanyavati. It was believed to be a result of the blood of a large number of animals sacrificed by King Rantideva. According to a legend, Draupadi had cursed the river because of which the people did not use it. It is because of this that the river does not have a holy status and has been saved from pollution. The curse has proved to be a boon and Chambal today is one of the most pristine rivers in the country. It acts as a home and a breeding ground for many species of water animals.

The river Chambal flows north east through Madhya Pradesh to enter Rajasthan and creates a border between the two states. It then turns south east toward Uttar Pradesh to join the Yamuna. During its 900 km long travel, the river crosses many physical features and all kinds of terrains before meeting Yamuna at Pachnada near Bhareh in Uttar Pradesh. As the name signifies, Pachnada is the place where five rivers meet. These are Kwari, Chambal, Sind, Yamuna and Pahuj.

Chambal is a rain fed river and so during the summer months its water level goes down, but it does manage to have a drainage basin of over 143,219 sq km. Three dams and a barrage have been built over the river as part of the Chambal Valley Project to harness hydroelectric power and to provide water for irrigation. The Gandhi Sagar Dam at the border of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Rana Pratap Sagar Dam in Chittorgarh district and the Jawahar Sagar Dam near Kota have successfully catered to the electricity requirements of this region while the Kota Barrage diverts the water from the three dams for irrigation.

Course

The river Chambal flows for about 900 km before joining Yamuna at Pachnada near Bhareh in Uttar Pradesh. After flowing around 226 km in the north easterly direction in Rajasthan, it marks the boundary between the two states for almost 252 km. For the next 117 km it becomes the boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and finally after entering Uttar Pradesh it flows for 40 km and joins the Yamuna. At its source, the river is at a height of 843m and from there it flows towards north for 320 km to enter a deep gorge at Chourasigarh in Rajasthan. It joins the Yamuna at an elevation of 122m and is a part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. At about 344 km from source, for the next 96 km, the river flows through a deep gorge but after that it traverses the wide plains. In its long journey, the river is joined by many smaller rivers like the Banas and Mej rivers which join it on the left bank and the Parbati, Kali Sindh and Shipra rivers which join it on the right bank.

Tributaries

Sipra

Also known as Kshipra, this is a sacred river of the Hindus with the holy city of Ujjain located on its banks. The Vindhya Range is where the source of the river is located.

Banas

Banas is a river that originates in Rajashtan and joins Chambal. Khamnor hills in the Aravalli mountain range (about 5 km from Kumbhalgarh) are the source of this river. The river flows through the Mewar region finally meeting Chambal at the village of Rameshwar in Sawai Madhopur district. During its journey of 512 km, rivers like Berach, Menali, Kothari, Khari, Dai, Dheel, Sohadara, Morel and Kalisil join it.

Kali Sindh

This river originates in the Vindhyan hill in the district of dewas in Madhya Pradesh. Parwan, Niwaj and Ahu rivers are tributaries of Kali Sindh. It joins Chambal at Nonera village in Baran district of Rajasthan.

Parabati

This river originates from the north of the Vindhaya range in Sehore district. It flows in the north east direction covering the districts of Rajgarh and Guna in Madhya Pradesh and Kota in Rajasthan. The 354 km long course of the river finally joins the Chambal on the right bank at Palighat.

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