Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Table of contents
Why is it in the News
In August 2025, relentless rains caused the Ghaggar River to swell beyond safe limits near Dera Bassi, affecting Punjab and Haryana. Flood alerts covered nine villages as embankments strained, bridges went underwater, and emergency teams rushed to protect residents—showcasing the region’s struggle with the river’s volatility.
About Ghaggar River
- The Ghaggar River, often identified with the ancient Sarasvati, is a monsoon-fed, intermittent river.
- Originating in the Shivalik Hills (Himachal Pradesh), it winds through Haryana and Punjab, nourishing farmland before vanishing into Rajasthan’s Thar Desert.
- Its ephemeral nature causes alternating drought and destructive floods, influencing both local agriculture and settlements.
Geographical Aspects
- It rises in Shivalik Hills near Kalka (Himachal-Haryana border) and flows 320 km southwest through Haryana (Ambala, Panchkula, Sirsa), Punjab (Mohali, Dera Bassi), and into Rajasthan’s Thar Desert where it dissipates.
- The river receives water from Tangri, Markanda, Sarsuti, Chautang, and Kaushalya. The Markanda and Tangri join near Tatiana; upstream all tributaries drain monsoon rain from Siwaliks and adjacent plains.
- 2D resistivity surveys show buried, ancient river channels beneath present alluvial layers, indicating shifting river courses and hidden reservoirs of groundwater. These channels are now hard sand beds, overlain by newer sediments and important for groundwater recharge.
- The river’s changing course is responsible for the formation of broad, productive, yet dangerous floodplains.
- Numerous Indus Valley civilization sites mark its course, suggesting the river was once more perennial and central to ancient settlement patterns.
FAQs
Q1. Where does the Ghaggar River originate?
The river originates in the Shivalik Hills, Himachal Pradesh, near Kalka.
Q2. Why does the Ghaggar flood frequently?
Its basin is wide and alluvial, prone to flash floods during heavy monsoon rains, combined with siltation and embankment encroachment.
Q3. What are paleochannels in the Ghaggar basin?
Ancient, buried river channels beneath the alluvium, these paleochannels once carried active flows and now act as groundwater aquifers.
Q4. Which tributaries merge into the Ghaggar?
Main tributaries are Tangri, Markanda, Sarsuti, Chautang, and Kaushalya.
