Sahibi River

Sahibi River is known by a multitude of names including Sabi Nadi and Najafgarh drain. It is a major source of water for the arid and semi arid regions of Rajasthan and Haryana. The river is a cradle of Indian civilization and culture, boasting of settlements along its banks since the time of the Indus Valley civilization. The Sahibi River is an ephermal seasonal stream with an irregular water supply. However, during times of monsoon, its discharge can swell and overflow the banks causing large areas of land to be inundated.

The origin of the river can be traced to the Sewar hills in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan. Geologically, the head of the river lies in the Aravalli ranges. This indicates the antiquity of the Sahibi River. The general direction of the flow is north terminating in Delhi as a tributary of the Yamuna.

Though it is reliant on the rain to replenish its water, Sahibi River remains one of the most important rivers in the arid regions of Rajasthan. The total length of the river is close to 300 kilometers and it drains a catchment area of 4442 square kilometers. It passes through the districts of Jaipur, Alwar, Mohindernagar, Rohtak and Gurgaon before it is converted to a drain in the state of Delhi.

Despite the fact that the present day channel through which Sahibi River meanders is mostly arid with seasonal rainfalls, it was the site of the flourishing Indus Valley Civilization. Throughout the course of its river bed, artifacts have been unearthed that indicates a vibrant community.

The Sahibi River was the cause of devastating floods throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The river’s water level exceeded its capacity in many instance of flooding, causing extensive damages to roads and other infrastructure. The main affected areas bordered around Delhi. The historic floods in the year 1977 led to the construction of a barrage near Masani village. Since then the Masani barrage helped in containing the effects of floods caused by the Sahibi River.

Course

The Sahibi River, change its direction as it flows north east. Its origin can be traced in the Lower reaches of the Aravalli Mountains. The Sahibi is an ancient river, as is evidenced from the origin. It carves its path eroding the 2000 year old mountains. Throughout its length, it maintains its north east flow.

The flow of the river begins near Jaipur. It flows north before entering Haryana. The stream re-enters Rajasthan in Mohindergarh district. Tracing the districts of Alwar, Rewari, Rohtak and Gurgaon, Sahibi River enters Delhi near village Kutani and stagnates to a lake called the Najafgarh Jheel.

The river Sahibi flows towards the north which is an exception to the established patterns of drainage originating in the Aravallis. Every other river originating in Aravallis flow south.

Just before entering the state of Delhi, Sahibi bifurcates into two streams. Ultimately, it flows to become a tributary of the Yamuna. However, in Delhi the characteristics of the stream are changed in entirety. Downstream of the Najafgarh lake, the river continued its path if the form of a series of jheels communicating through small streams. However, the origin channel was modified and channeled to become a conduit for Delhi’s wastes. In Delhi the stream functions to serve as a sewer receiving raw untreated wastes to be dumped into the Yamuna. It is here that the river changes its characteristics entirely.

The Sahibi River gets its discharge from numerous rivulets and marginal streams, most of them being seasonal in nature. Sources claim aver a hundred rivulets and rain fed streams contribute to the discharge of the river. Most of the major tributaries of the river originate in the Aravallis.

Tributaries

Krishnawati River

Krishnawati is a minor stream originating in the hills of Aravallis. It flows in the southern direction to join the Sahibi in Mohindernagar. The total length is 77 kilometers. The stream is an ephermal one, contributing little to the volume to the Sahibi.

Indori Nadi

Indori Nadi is the longest tributary of the Sahibi River. The river claims a total length of 198 kilometers and is fed by rains. The entire length navigates the plains of Rajasthan maintaining the southern vector of its flow. It joins the Sahibi near Pataudhi.

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