Neelum River

Neelum River/ﻧﻴﻠﻢ ﻧﺪﯼ
River
Region	Kashmir
Source	34.389629°N 75.121806°E / 34.389629; 75.121806
- location	Vishansar Lake, India
- elevation	3,710 m (12,172 ft)
Mouth	34.354869°N 73.468537°E / 34.354869; 73.468537
- location	Jehlum River at Muzaffarabad, Pakistan
- elevation	750 m (2,461 ft)
Length	245 km (152 mi)
Discharge
- average	465 m3/s (16,421 cu ft/s)

The Neelum River (Hindi: नीलम नदी, Urdu: نیلم ندی), or Kishanganga (Sanskrit/Hindi: कृष्णगंगा नदी, Urdu: کِشڻ گنگا ندی), is a river in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan.

Geography

The Neelam River originates from Vishansar Lake in the vicinity of Sonamarg and runs northwards upto village Badoab where it meets a tributory from Drass side and runs westwards along Line of Control in the Indian occupied Kashmir. It is fed by many glacial tributory streams on its way. It enters Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the Gurais sector of the Line of Control, and then runs west till it meets the Jhelum River north of Muzzafarabad. The Neelum River is 245 kilometers long, it covers 50 kilometers in Indian occupied Kashmir and rest 195 kilometers in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Variety of Fishes

There are different kinds of fishes found in abbandance in the Neelum River. As the river almost entirely runs accross the Line of Control, being the main cause for Kashmir conflict there is a feeling of uncertainty among the inhabitants, many of them have emigrated to safer places, which has left the river banks scarcely populous and kept the river in perfect conditions for growth of fish. The most famous among the different variety of fishes found in Neelum River are:

• Brown trout (sulmo trutta fario)
• Rainbow trout (sulmo gairdnri)
• Snow trout (shizothorax)
• Shuddgurn
• Anyour

Neelum Valley

The Neelum Valley is a Himalayan gorge in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan, along which the Neelum River flows. This green and fertile valley is 250 km in length and stretches its way from Muzaffarabad all the way to Athmuqam and beyond to Taobutt. It is one of the most attractive tourists places, like Swat and Chetral, but due to poor road system is yet veiled to the outside world. This area was badly affected by the 2005 earthquake and was cut off from the outside world as the roads and paths were filled with rubble. Now construction of an international standard road is in progress. Neelum has had a great importance before and after the partition of India due to its beauty. Sharada Peeth was once most advanced and international standard institution during the Hindu and Buddhist era.^{[citation needed]}

It is named after the river Neelum which is famous for its crystal bluish water and that is the reason for its name Neelum. Some traditionalists say that the valley is named after a precious stone neelum (sapphire). It enters in the Neelum from Taobutt and continues its journey through narrows and mountains different streams in the way add its strength and finely tributes into river Jehlum at a spot at Domail in Muzaffarabad.

There are two entrances for Neelum valley, one Neelum Road by Muzaffarabad and the other by Kaghan the Julkhad Road. Generally Neelum valley starts just after Muzaffarabad but in political division the area from Muzaffarabad to Chelhana is named Kotla valley in election division. District Neelum starts from Chelhana and goes to Taobutt. The valley is famous for its lush greenery, fir forests, slop hills and waterfalls. Specially in summer a large number of tourists visit the valley. Azad jummu and Kashmir tourism department and Forest Division Keren constructed Guest Houses in most important points. Good strandard hotels are also available in almost places.

Shardadesh is a name for the drainage basin of the Neelum River. The name is a form of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts in Hinduism.

Dam

In the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, the construction work on the 330 MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant project has started, after being defunct for eighteen years. Recently, the project was awarded to Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) with a timeline of seven years. The 330 MW Kishanganga hydro-electric power project involves damming of Kishanganga or Neelam River and the proposed 37 metre reservoir will submerge some parts of the Gurez valley of India. The water of Kishen Ganga River will be diverted through a 24 kilometre tunnel dug through the mountains to Bandipore where it will join the Wular Lake and then Jhelum River.

Similarly, Pakistan is constructing the 969 MW Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant; the country has placed the project in the hands of a Chinese consortium. Pakistan claims that the Indian dam project will violate the Indus Waters Treaty and has pursued formal arbitration proceedings against India over the matter.

External links

• Neelum Valley.zoomshare