| Beas River Vyas River | |
|---|---|
 The Beas River in Himachal Pradesh | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh,Punjab |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Beas Kund |
| • location | Himalayas,Himachal Pradesh |
| • coordinates | 32°21′59″N77°05′08″E / 32.36639°N 77.08556°E /32.36639; 77.08556 |
| Mouth | Sutlej River |
• location | Harike,Harike Wetland,Tarn Taran district,Punjab |
• coordinates | 31°09′16″N74°58′31″E / 31.15444°N 74.97528°E /31.15444; 74.97528 |
| Length | 470 km (290 mi) |
| Basin size | 20,303 km2 (7,839 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Mandi Plain |
| • average | 499.2 m3/s (17,630 cu ft/s) |
TheBeas River[a] is a river innorthwestern India, flowing through the states ofHimachal Pradesh andPunjab, and is the smallest of the five major rivers of thePunjab region.[1] Rising in theHimalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, the river flows for approximately 470 kilometres (290 mi) into theSutlej River in Punjab.[2] Its total length is 470 kilometres (290 mi) and itsdrainage basin is 20,303 square kilometres (7,839 sq mi) large.[3]
As of 2017, the river is home to a tiny isolated population of theIndus dolphin.[4]
Rig-veda calls the riverVipāś, which means unfettered,[5]in laterSanskrit texts it's been calledVipāśā विपाशा.Yāska identifies it with Argrikiya.[5]
According to legends,Veda Vyasa, the author of the Indian epicMahabharata, is theeponym of the river Beas; he is said to have created it from its source lake, the Beas Kund.[6]
According to other legends, before Veda Vyasa, the Vipasa river was known asSaraswati. RishiVashishta, the great-grandfather of Vyasa tried to jump into this river from an overlooking hillock, to sacrifice his soul. He tied himself with several cords to drown himself[citation needed]. However, the river altered form to become a sandbed, saving him. And in this course, the cords got broken, so Vashishta named the river Vipasa, which means cord-breaker.[7] On account of this incident, the great Rishi opted to settle near the river, and made it a residence for some years. Thereby, it became known as Vashisht (after Vashishta). We can find Vashishta Brahmarishi Temple in this village.
Ancient Greeks called itHyphasis (Greek:Ύφασης).[8]Plinius called it Hypasis, an approximation to the VedicVipāś. Other classical names are Hynais, Bipasis, Bibasis.[5]
In modern times, the river has also been called Bias or Bejah.[5]
The Beas River marks the easternmost border ofAlexander the Great's conquests in 326 BC. It was one of the rivers that created problems in Alexander's invasion of India. His troops mutinied here in 326 BC, refusing to go any further in Mukerian. Alexander shut himself in his tent for three days, but when his men did not change their desires he gave in, raising twelve colossal altars to mark the limit and glory of his expedition.[9][10] The exact location and fate of these altars are unknown, although one historian has suggested that they were later reused to create some of thePillars of Ashoka.[11]
According to theKavyamimansa[12] ofRajasekhara, the kingdom-territories of theGurjara-Pratihara monarchMahipala I extended as far as the upper course of the river Beas in the north-west.[13]
2014 Beas River Tragedy resulted in 24 engineering students and one tour operator drowned when the flood gates of theLarji dam were opened.
During 2023monsoon, flooding in Beas caused substantial damages in the state of Himachal Pradesh.[14] Damage to the state is estimated to be $1B, the loss of life is over 400, and little government relief is available to assist with social costs and recovery.[15]
The river rises 4,361 metres (14,308 ft) above sea-level on the southern face ofRohtang Pass inKullu. It traverses theMandi District and enters theKangra District at Sandhol, 590 metres (1,940 ft) above sea-level. During its lower course the Beas is crossed by numerous ferries, many of which consist of inflated skins (darais). Near Reh in Kangra District it divides into three channels, which reunite after passing Mirthal, 300 metres (980 ft) above sea-level. On meeting theSivalik Hills inMukerian, the river sweeps sharply northward, forming the boundary with Kangra District. Then bending round the base of the Sivalik Hills, it takes the southerly direction, separating the districts of Gurdaspur and Hoshiapur. After touching theJalandhar district for a short distance, the river forms the boundary betweenAmritsar andKapurthala. Finally the Beas joins the riverSutlej at the south-western boundary of Kapurthala district ofPunjab after a total course of 470 kilometres (290 mi). The chief tributaries are Bain, Banganga, Luni and Uhal.The Sutlej continues intoPakistani Punjab and joins theChenab River atUch near Bahawalpur to form thePanjnad River; the latter in turn joins theIndus River atMithankot.
The water of the Beas river is allocated to India under the terms of theIndus Waters Treaty between India andPakistan.[16] The mean annual flow is 14.203 million acre feet (MAF).[17]
Historically, the Beas River flowed from its present-day junction with the Sutlej to Lahore and Montgomery districts, after which it joined the Chenab near Shujabad before the Chenab turns westward.[18] By 1245, the Beas river occupied the former bed of the Chenab river that passed by Dipalpur.[18] The Beas River formerly used to run from Kasur to Chunian and then Shergarh in Okara.[19][20] The old Beas river flowed south of the site of Harappa.[21] The flow of the Beas river, which ran through the high-bar of theBari Doab, shifted between 1750 and 1800, with it being captured by the Sutlej river, after many previous changes to its flow throughout the preceding centuries.[22]
In the 20th century, the river was developed under the Beas Project for irrigation andhydroelectric power generation purposes.[23] Listed upstream to downstream:
On 17 May 2018, countless number of fishes and other aquatic animals were found dead in Beas river due to release of molasses from a sugar mill situated on its shore at Kiri Afgana village in Gurdaspur district.[28] Locals have noted that the river color has changed to rust brown and dead fishes were floating in the river. Punjab Pollution Control Board have ordered the closure of the factory and an enquiry has been initiated. Besides sealing, the sugar mill has been charged a fine of Rs. 25 lakh for this negligence.[29]
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{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)A central ridge marking the old bed of River Beas passes through the district bifurcating it into two. Descending from Kasur, the crest goes all the way to Chunian, and then Shergarh in Okara. On the west of the ridge into Okara and Renala Khurd tehsils, the subsoil water is brackish and the area depends on canals for irrigation. But, on the eastern side of the ridge, Depalpur tehsil area, the subsoil water is sweet and good for agriculture.
There is a central ridge, in the centre of Okara District, which marks the old river bed of the Beas, and the boundary b/w the eastern and western half of the district. The ridge descends from Kasur, all the way to Chunian, and then Shergarh in Okara. As you go west of the ridge, into Okara & Renala Khurd, the subsoil water is brackish, therefore the area is dependent on canals for irrigation. However, after you cross the ridge east into Depalpur Tehsil, the subsoil water is sweet and good for agriculture.
The ancient bed of the Ravi river cuts into the northern part of the site [Harappa], and to the south is the old bed of the ancient Beas river.
More recent evidence can be found in the still-visible evidence of old river beds, such as the old bed of the Beas running through the high bar of the Bari Doab in the Punjab, which was abandoned by the river when its flow was captured by the Sutlej in the second half of the eighteenth century, after many changes in course over the previous centuries.
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