Ha Chhu


The Ha Chhu is a river in west-central Bhutan, it is a tributary of the Raidak River.

Course

The Ha Chhu originates in a valley glacier on the south facing slope of the main Himalayas. The source area is located to the south of Chomo Lhari. A number of smaller streams flowing from glaciers in hanging valleys join the main stream. The Ha Chhu then flows in a general direction, south south-east to join the Wong Chhu at Chukho.

Ha valley

Western Bhutan is basically made up of the valleys of Ha at, Paro at, and Thimphu at.
The upper valley of Ha Chhu is glaciated but in its lower and middle course it flows along a deep V-shaped valley. There are many rocky outcrops along this river.
The Ha valley is situated on Bhutan’s border with China, from Paro. One can climb to Chele La at a height of, the highest point on Bhutans’ roads. The mountain pass offers views of surrounding peaks and the Paro and Ha valleys.
Bulk of the Ha Chhu catchment is under alpine, sub-alpine and temperate mixed coniferous forests.

Ha village

is a large village that has come up along this river. Situated at a steep drop of the river, it has a fort. It has retained the traditional Bhutanese style of architecture.

Lhakhang Karpo

, located at Dumchoe, south of Ha village, is a monastery believed to have been built in the 8th century by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Goenpo, after he sent two doves to find a sacred place to build a monastery. Lhakhang Karpo is the main seat of Ha’s guardian deity – Ap Chundu.

Fish culture

Traditionally salmonidae and Dinnawah snowtrout was found in the Ha Chhu. Brown trout was first introduced in Bhutan in 1930. A hatchery was established at Ha immediately thereafter and another at Wangchutaba in 1975. The asla is held in high esteem by the Bhutanese and brown trout seems to be feeding on and suppressing indigenous cold-water fish such as the asla. In 1987, the FAO fact finding and project idea formulating mission for small-scale cold-water fisheries visited Bhutan. A subsequent visit by experts established that the Ha hatchery was more conducive to fish culture than that in the foothill ponds.