| Poonch River | |
|---|---|
 Poonch River | |
  | |
| Location | |
| Countries | India,Pakistan |
| Provinces | Jammu and Kashmir,Azad Kashmir |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Poonch district,Jammu and Kashmir,India |
| • coordinates | 33°38′42″N74°26′07″E / 33.64511°N 74.43532°E /33.64511; 74.43532 |
| Mouth | |
• location | Mangla Reservoir,Kotli District,Azad Kashmir,Pakistan |
• coordinates | 33°17′23″N73°44′29″E / 33.2896°N 73.7414°E /33.2896; 73.7414 |
ThePoonch River (also known asPunch River,Punch Tohi,Pulast, andTohi of Punch[1][a]) is a tributary of theJhelum River that flows throughJammu and Kashmir inIndia, andAzad Kashmir inPakistan.
According toGeorg Bühler,[2] the ancient form of the word Tohi is Taushi mentioned in theRājataraṅgiṇī and theNīlamata Purāṇa. In the latter work, Āpagā (Aik Nala ofSialkot), Tauśī andCandrabhāgā are named together. Probably, the word is connected with theSanskrittuṣāra, 'cold', i.e. 'snow'.
The river originates in the south-facing foothills ofPir Panjal range, in the areas of Neel-Kanth Gali and Jamian Gali. It is called 'Siran' (Suran) in this area. It flows south and then west until it reaches the town ofPoonch, after which it bends southwest, finally draining into theMangla Reservoir near Chomukh. The towns ofPoonch, Sehra,Tatta Pani,Kotli andMirpur are situated on the banks of this river.[3]
Frederic Drew wrote of the Poonch river in 1875:
it drains a large area of mountain country, collecting a number of streams that rise in the lofty Panjäl Range; indeed it combines all those which spring from that part of the Range north or north-west of the branching off of the Ratan ridge. It drains also a considerable area occupied by the mountains of intermediate height, and no small space of the lower, outer, hills.[4]
The prominent tributaries of the river are:
The Betaar Nala, which originates in the Azad Kashmir'sHaveli District and flows southwest to join the Poonch river near thePoonch town, is sometimes called the 'Punch River'. (The upstream part of Poonch river is then called the Suran river.)
TheMughal Road fromShopian circles around the origin of the Poonch River and runs along its banks.
The Parnai hydropower project, under construction near Bafliaz in India's Poonch district, is expected to generate 37.5 Mega Watt power and also irrigate vast tracts of agricultural land in the district. The project was set for completion in 2017–18 but is delayed.[5][6][7]
The 100 MWGulpur Hydropower Project is located on this river in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
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