• The Yamuna River starts at the Yamunotri Glacier, located on the southwestern slopes of Banderpoonch peak in the Mussoorie range of the lower Himalayas.
• It flows through several states, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi before merging with the Ganga River at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad.
• The Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganga River in the northern plains.
• Its main affluent in the upper reaches is the Tons River, which also originates from the Bandarpunch glacier.
• The Tons River joins the Yamuna River below Kalsi, where the water carried by the Tons River is twice that of the Yamuna River.
• The Yamuna River is 1,376 km long from its origin to its confluence with the Ganga River in Allahabad.
• The Yamuna River creates the highly fertile alluvial, Yamuna-Ganges Doab region between itself and the Ganga River in the Indo-Gangetic plain.
• Many cities, including Bhagpat, Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Hamirpur, and Allahabad, are located on the banks of the Yamuna River.

Major Tributaries of Yamuna River

Tons

• The Tons River is the longest tributary of the Yamuna River.
• It flows through Garhwal, the western part of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
• The river originates at an elevation of 3900 m and joins the Yamuna below Kalsi near Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• It is one of the major perennial rivers in the Indian Himalayas.

Giri

• The Giri River is a significant tributary of the Yamuna River.
• It provides the main water source for the South-Eastern region of Himachal Pradesh.
• The river is well-known in the Jubbal and Rohru hills, which rise from Kupar peak just above Jubbal town.
• After flowing across the heart of the Shimla hills, the river runs in a southeastern direction and divides the Sirmaur district into two equal parts known as Cis-Giri and Trans-Giri regions before joining the Yamuna upstream of Paonta below Mokkampur.

Hindon

• The Hindon River is a significant tributary of the Yamuna River and is situated between the Ganga River on the left and Yamuna River on the right.
• It originates from the upper Shiwalik region of the Lower Himalayas and is solely dependent on rainfall, with a catchment area of around 7,083 sq. km.
• The river spans a length of approximately 400 km and its width varies from 20 m to 160 m.

Chambal

• Chambal River is also called Charmanwati or Charmawati.
• It originates from Janapao Hills of the Vindhya range, located 15 km West-South-West of Mhow in Indore district in Madhya Pradesh.
• The river is 960 km long.
• It is used for hydropower generation at several dams, including Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam, Jawahar Sagar Dam, and the Kota Barrage.
• Due to poor rainfall and severe erosion, the river flows much below its banks, and the Chambal Valley has many deep ravines, leading to the formation of badland topography.
• Dams on the Chambal:
  • Gandhi Sagar dam: first of four dams on the Chambal River, on the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border
  • Rana Pratap Sagar dam: located 52 km downstream of Gandhi Sagar dam, across the Chambal River in Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan
  • Jawahar Sagar Dam: third dam in the Chambal Valley Projects, located 29 km upstream of Kota city and 26 km downstream of Rana Pratap Sagar dam
  • Kota Barrage: fourth in the Chambal Valley Projects, located about 0.8 km upstream of Kota City in Rajasthan; diverts water released after power generation at Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam, and Jawahar Sagar Dams for irrigation in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh through canals.
• Keoladeo National Park is supplied with water from Chambal river irrigation project.

Banas

• Also known as ‘Van Ki Asha'(Hope of forest),
• Originates in the Aravalli Range in Rajsamand District of Rajasthan.
• The cities of Nathdwara, Jawanpur, and Tonk lie on the river.
• Its entire, course is in Rajasthan only.

Kali Sindh

• Flows in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, that joins the Chambal River near Sawai Madhopur In Rajasthan
• Kali Sindh originates in Madhya Pradesh.

Parbati

• Originates in the northern slopes of the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh, flows through Kota District and Jhalawar District of Rajasthan.
• Runs for about 436km and has a catchment area of nearly 3,070 sq miles.
• Joins the right bank of the Chambal
• The city of Guna (MP) lies on it.

Sindh

• The Sindh originates on the Malwa Plateau in Vidisha district,
• Flows north-northeast through the districts of Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Datia, Gwalior, and Bhind in MadhyaPradesh
• Join the Yamuna River in Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh
• Flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Betwa

• Also called as Vetravati
• Rises in the Vindhya Range north of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh.
• The confluence of the Betwa and the Yamuna Rivers takes place in the Hamirpur town in Uttar Pradesh.
• Dhasan is the main tributary.
• Rajghat Dam located on the river.

Dhasan River

• It is a right-bank tributary of the Betwa River.
• It Originated in Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh.
• Flows through Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Ken

• The Ken River originates from the slopes of Kaimur Range in Jabalpur district in Madhya Pradesh
• Merge with the Yamuna near Fatehpur in UP.
• The Ken valley separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.
• The Ken River passes through Penna National Park.

Important places through which Yamuna passes

• State: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi
• Cities: Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, and Prayagraj lie on its banks.