| Sahibi River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Aravalli Range, from Jitgarh,Manoharpur, and Saiwar Protected Forest (PF) hills in Sikar District |
| Mouth | |
• location | Delhi |
| Length | 120 km (75 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Yamuna inDelhi |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Narayanpur Nala, Surakh Nali, Hajipur Nala, Kasoti Nala, Khar Nali |
| • right | Sota river,Kotkasim drain,Krishnavati river andIndori river (Indori Nallah), Dohan River |
| Waterbodies | Masani barrage,Najafgarh Lake |
| Bridges | Masani Bridge on NH-48, Sodawas Bridge on SH-14, Bridge onSH-52, Ajarka Bridge on Rewari-Alwar Railway Line, Pataudi Bridge on Rewari-Delhi Railway Line, Railway Bridge Nangal Pathani |
TheSahibi River, also called theSabi River, is anephemeral, rain-fed river flowing throughRajasthan,Haryana (where its canalised portion is called the "Outfall Drain No 8") andDelhi states in India.[1] It originates in the eastern slopes of the Saiwar Protected Forest (PF) hills in Sikar District, enters Jaipur district near the foot of these hills, and after initially flowing southeast and east turns northeastwards near Shahpura and continues further till it exits Rajasthan to enter Haryana and further drains intoYamuna inDelhi, where its channeled course is also called theNajafgarh drain, which also serves asNajafgarh drain bird sanctuary.[2][3] It flows for 300 km of which 157 km is in Rajasthan 100 km is in Haryana and 40 km in Delhi.
The current andpaleochannels of the Sahibi River have several important wetlands that lie in series, including theMasani barrage wetland,Matanhail forest,Chhuchhakwas-Godhari,Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary,Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Outfall Drain Number 6 (canalised portion in Haryana of Sahibii river), Outfall Drain Number 8 (canalised portion in Haryana ofDohan river which is atributary of the Sahibi),Sarbashirpur,Sultanpur National Park,Basai Wetland,Najafgarh lake andNajafgarh drain bird sanctuary, andThe Lost lake of Gurugram, all of which are home to endangered and migratory birds, yet largely remain unprotected under extreme threat from the colonisers and builders.
SeveralOchre Coloured Pottery culture sites (also identified as late Harappan phase ofIndus Valley civilisation culture)[4] have been found along the banks of the Sahibi and its tributaries such asKrishnavati river,Dohan river (originates nearNeem Ka Thana in Alwar district) and Sota River (merges with the Sahibi River atBehror in Alwar district and its canalised portion in Haryana is called the "Outfall Drain No 6").[5] The drainage pattern for all these rivers isdendritic.
The Sahibi River originates from the eastern slopes of the Saiwar Protected Forest hills inAravalli Range near Jitgarh and Manoharpur inSikar district ofRajasthan state. After covering about 157 km distance in theRajasthan state. After gathering volume from a hundredtributaries, the Sahibi River forms a broad stream aroundAlwar andKotputli.
These west to north-west flowing rivers originate from the western slopes ofAravalli range in Rajasthan, flow through semi-arid historicalShekhawati region, drain into southern Haryana.
Sabi River Basin is located in the mid north eastern part of Rajasthan. It stretches between 27° 18' 39.13” to 28° 13' 55.10” Northlatitude and 76° 58' 21.09’’ to 75° 45' 35.05’’ East longitude. It is bounded in the northwest by Shekhawati River Basin and Ruparail and Banganga River Basins inthe southeast. The northern boundary is shared administratively with Haryana State. The Basin extends over parts of Jaipur Rural and Neem Ka Thana, Kot Behror, Khairthal, Rewari, Jhajjar, Gurugram districts. The totalcatchment area of the Basin is 4607.9 km2.
The catchment area of the Sahibi River encompasses the following cities and towns:Sikar,Jaipur, andKotputli in northeasternRajasthan state;Rewari district,Gurgaon district andJhajjar district in southernHaryana state; andDelhi state.
The catchment area of the Sahibi River inRajasthan is 4,523.67 square kilometres (1,746.60 sq mi) of Jaipur, Alwar and Sikar districts, between latitudes 27°16' and 28°11' and longitudes 75°42' and 76°57'. The Sahibi Basin falls in three districts of Rajasthan:Alwar district (62.11%),Jaipur district (29.30%) andSikar district (8.59%).
The mean annual rainfall in Sahibi Basin is 627.60 mm. Highest maximum temperature ranges from 45.45 to 45.99 °C with a mean value of 45.8 °C, while Lowest minimum temperature ranges from 1.64 to 3.14 °C with a mean value of 2.45 °C.
The river leavesRajasthan state beyondKotkasim inAlwar district near village Lalpur and covers a total distance of about 222 km up to Dhasa Bund.
It entersHaryana state at Jhabua, near the city ofRewari inRewari district, after which it re-enters firstRajasthan state nearKotkasim, and then Haryana again near the village of Jarthal. The dry riverbed near Jarthal is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide. During lightmonsoon rainfall, the river's flat and sandy bottom absorbs all rainwater.Masani barrage on the river lies near Dahuhera. During heavy rains, the river has a defined course up toPataudi railway station and branches off into two smaller streams toJhajjar, finally reaching the outskirts of Delhi throughNajafgarh drain and ending at theYamuna River.
TheNajafgarh Drain orNajafgarh Nallah (nullah inHindi meansdrain) is another name for the Sahibi River, which continues its flow through Delhi where it is channelised for flood control purposes. It is a tributary to the Yamuna River, into which it flows. The Najafgarh Drain gets its name from the once famous and hugeNajafgarh Lake near the town ofNajafgarh in southwest Delhi. The Najafgarh Drain is the capital's most polluted body of water due to the direct inflow of untreated sewage from surrounding populated areas. Assessing the water quality of wetlands in wildlife habitats, a January 2005 report by the Central Pollution Control Board rated the Najafgarh Drain under category D, along with 13 other highly polluted wetlands.[8][9][10][11][12]
Regulators at the Keshopur Bus Depot on the Outer Ring Road are wide with thick and high embankments. A vast amount of water is retained in this widened drain by closing the Kakrola regulators under Najafgarh Road to recharge the local groundwater table.[13]
Several bridges cross the Sahibi River. A bridge on State Highway 14 crosses the river between Behror and Sodawas (Behror to Alwar Road). On State Highway 52, a bridge crosses the river between Ajaraka and Dadhiya. TheMasani barrage is also used as the bridge onNH 919 which merges withNH 48 (Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai, formerly NH 8) at this barrage nearDharuhera,Rewari.[14] Buchara dam is located in Buchara Leopard Sanctuary Kotputli on Sota River, a major tributary. Railway bridges between Ajaraka andBawal and nearPataudi also cross the river. A railway bridge near Nangal Pathani also crosses the river.
Prior to 1960, the rain-fed Sahibi River entered Delhi near Dhansa and spilled its overflow in the Najafgarh Lake (Jheel) basin, creating a seasonal lake. A vast area of more than 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) was submerged in some seasons. In the following decades, the Sahibi River flow reaching Dhansa was channelised by digging a wide drain and connecting it directly to the Yamuna River, completely draining the seasonal Najafgarh Jheel.
The Sahibi River flooded in 1977. In response, the Masani barrage was constructed on Delhi-Jaipur highway nearMasani village, Rewari.[15][16] Several smaller dams have also been constructed throughout the hills of Rajasthan to store rainwater. The construction of dams has restricted the flow of water on the Sahibi River and it is now rare for water overflow from monsoon rains to reach up the Masani Barrage.
Parts of Rajasthan and Haryana that Sahibi river flows through are arid and have only seasonal monsoon rainfall, in the past river might have held perennial flow as evident by the presence of several sites of theGaneshwar–Jodhpura culture on the banks of present-day Sahibi River meanders and its tributaries. Among the finds are handmade and wheel-made pottery dated to 3309–2709 BCE and 2879–2384 BCE found on the banks of the Sahibi River at Jodhpura.[17][18]
Other findings include pottery found on the Sahibi riverbed atHansaka in theRewari district byINTACH-Rewari.[17][18]
A red stone statue ofVamana Dev, now displayed at the Shri Krishna Museum,Kurukshetra was unearthed in 2002 on the Sahibi riverbed nearBawal.[17][18]
In various other places on Sahibi riverbed, many artifacts have been found, including arrowheads, fishhooks, spearheads, awls, and chisels.[17][18]
Several modern scholars identify the oldGhaggar-Hakra River (of which Tangri river is a tributary) as theSarasvati river and the Sahibi River with theDrishadvati river ofVedic period, on the banks of which in the Vedic state ofBrahmavarta,Indus-Sarasvati civilisation or Vedic Sanskriti developed. Such scholars include Bhargava[19] TheDrishadwati River had formed one border of theVedic state ofBrahmavarta while other was Saraswati river. This is mentioned in theRigveda, theManusmriti, and the other Hindu texts as well.
This is an important part of the ecological corridor along the route of Sahibi River which traverses from Aravalli hills in Rajasthan toYamuna viaMasani barrage,Matanhail forest,Chhuchhakwas-Godhari,Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Outfall Drain Number 8 and 6,Sarbashirpur,Sultanpur National Park,Basai and The Lost Lake (Gurugram). It lies 5 km northwest of Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary and 46 km northwest of Sultantpur National Park via road.
The entire 100 km stretch of Sahibi River and its streams (Sota river, Kotkasim drain andIndori river) in Haryana areecologically dead.[2]Gurugram also dumps polluted discharge in the riverbed of Sahibi.[2] In some of its reaches, from Mandawar andKotkasim to Haryana border, meandering of the river causes bank erosion.
Government of Haryana is coordinating withGovernment of Rajasthan to ensure water reaches usually-dryMasani barrage and dying seasonal Sahibi River. Another government project is being implemented to direct the extra water of Yamuna river during monsoon to Masani barrage through Jawahar Lal Nehru Canal andWestern Yamuna Canal (c. July 2015).[20]
28°29′N76°44′E / 28.483°N 76.733°E /28.483; 76.733
