Dras River

Dras River, also known as Drass River is one of the important rivers within the Kargil district of the Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir. The Dras River has been responsible for carving the Drass valley in Ladakh, and this valley is known for being second in the list of the coldest places around the world. The Dras has a length of 86 kilometers and originates from the Machoi glacier located near the Zozila pass. This originating point is 26 kilometers to the east of Sonamarg, while it is 120 kilometers to the east of Srinagar. The Sind River also has its originating point at the Machoi glacier. It is also joined by other streams that originate from other melting glaciers. The Dras River then courses in north-east direction. The Dras flows parallel to the NH1D which is the national highway and provides the connectivity between Leh and Srinagar. The topography of the entire region is typically glacial and consists of hanging valleys, eskers, cirques and morainal deposits. The Dras in its lower reaches tends to slow down considerably. The catchment area of the river is entirely devoid of vegetative cover since it is located in rain-shadow of the Himalayan range. Small amounts of vegetative cover can be observed in a narrow strip along the channels that are formed due to the melting snow. With the melting of snow in upland areas, the Dras river volume increases a great deal in summer.

Course
As the Dras river continues its north-east journey it is joined by other streams, Gamru Nala and Mashko Nala. Within the Dras valley the river runs parallel to the road that connects Dras with Gurais. At Karbu the Dras is joined by the Shingo River and this doubles the flow and volume of the Dras. The Shingo River is created out of the confluence of Nakpo River as well as Marpo River which originates in Pakistan administered Kashmir. In Kharul at a distance of 7 kilometers to the north of Kargil, the Dras River meets the Suru River. The Dras courses through Kharbu, Kakshar and Matayan towns. This resulting stream eventually meets Kuksar River near Kargil and then joins the mighty Indus opposite Mural.

Tributaries
The Dras River is one of the important tributaries of Shigar River which eventually meets the Indus. The Mashko Nala and the Gamru Nala are the two important tributaries of the Dras River. These tributaries originate in the glaciers located in Mashko valley.

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