Poonch River


The Poonch River is a tributary of the Jhelum River that flows through Jammu and Kashmir in India, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan.

Course

The river originates in the south-facing foothills of Pir Panjal range, in the areas of Neel-Kanth Gali and Jamian Gali. It is called 'Siran' in this area. It flows south and then west until it reaches the town of Poonch, after which it bends southwest, finally draining into the Mangla Reservoir near Chomukh. The towns of Poonch, Sehra, Tatta Pani, Kotli and Mirpur are situated on the banks of this river.

Tributaries

wrote of the Poonch river in 1875:
The prominent tributaries of the river are:
The Betaar Nala, which originates in the Azad Kashmir's Haveli District and flows southwest to join the Poonch river near the Poonch town, is sometimes called the 'Punch River'.

Environment

The Mughal Road from Shopian 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.
The 100 MW Gulpur Hydropower Project is located on this river in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.