Indus

River in Asia, rising in Tibet and flowing 3,180 km/1,975 mi to the Arabian Sea. In 1960 the use of its waters, including those of its five tributaries, was divided between India (rivers Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and Pakistan (rivers Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). In the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC Indus Valley civilization flourished at centres such as Harappa and Mojenjo Daro.

Course The Indus rises in the Kailas Mountains in Tibet, near the sources of the Brahmaputra, Sutlej, and Ghaghara, and flows northwest for over 800 km/500 mi through Tibet and then Kashmir, between Ladakh and Zanskar mountain ranges. The main tributary of its upper course, the Shyok, joins here. It turns southwest to enter the Punjab and is joined at Attock by the Kabul River from Afghanistan, and then flows southwest for 1,600 km/1,000 mi to its delta some 80 km/50 mi south of Karachi.

Navigation and bridges It is navigable up to Attock at all seasons, but from May to August snowmelt can cause destructive flooding. It is spanned by several bridges, notably the iron railway bridge at Attock and the cantilever ‘Lansdowne Bridge’ at Sukkur.