Swat River

Swat
River
Swat River, viewed from Badwan Bridge.
Country	Pakistan
province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District	Swat
Tributaries
- left	Ushu Khwar, Bashigram Khwar
- right	Daral Khwar, Gabral Khwar
Source	Hindu Kush Mountains
Source confluence	Ushu khwar & Gabral Khwar
- location	Kalam
Mouth	Kabul River
- location	Charsadda
Length	240 km (149 mi)
Basin	14,000 km2 (5,405 sq mi)

The Swat River (Pashto: د سوات سیند‎) is a perennial river in the northern region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The river commences in Swat Kohistan region of Kalam with the confluence of two main tributaries Ushu and Gabral and runs downstream in a narrow gorge up to Baghdheri.

The name is derived from an old Sanskrit term, Suvastu, which means crystal clear water, like azure in colour. It is mentioned in Rig Veda 8.19.37 as the Suvastu river. With the passage of time, it was shortened to Swat by the people.

Its source lies in the Hindukush Mountains, from where it is fed by the glacial waters throughout the year and flows through the Kalam Valley in a narrow gorge with a rushing speed up to Madyan and lower plain areas of Swat Valley up to Chakdara for 160 km. In the extreme south of the valley, the river enters to a narrow gorge and joins the Panjkora River, at Qalangi, and finally empties into Kabul River, near Charsadda. It is diverted near Batkhela for irrigation and power generation purposes.

The Upper Swat Canal flows under Malakand through Benton Tunnel. Below Dargai, the upper canal is divided into two branches, supplying Charsadda and Swabi & Mardan. The water also used for hydropower generation at Jabban and Dargai Power Stations.

Swat River plays an important role in the economy of the valley. It irrigates large areas of Swat District, Malakand District and lower Peshawar Valley and recharge water wells & springs through seepage. The river serves as a habitat for diverse species of birds & contributes to the fishing industry of the region. The aesthetic scenery of river attracts thousands of tourists from all over Pakistan during the summer season.