Somb river

Origin and route

The Somb river originates in the Shivalik hills near Adi Badri (Haryana) in Yamunanagar district on the border of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh State.

In 1875-76 Pathrala barrage at Dadupur was built where Somb river meets Western Yamuna Canal in Haryana.

The basin is classified in two parts, Khadir and Bangar, the higher area that is not flooded in rainy season is called Bangar and the lower flood-prone area is called Khadar.

Irrigation and Hydal Power

The Western Yamuna Canal has several check dams in Yamunanagar district and Hydal power is generated at Pathrala barrage. some of which are also used for the hydel power generation.

Identification with Vedic rivers

The Adi Badri (Haryana) is a forest area and archaeological site in the foothills of Sivalik Hills in bhabar area situated in northern part of Yamunanagar district of north Indian state of Haryana. This is considered to be the originating point of vedic river Sarasvati(The point where the river leaves the mountains and enter plain land.

Several modern scholars identify the old Ghaggar-Hakra River (of which Tangri river is a tributary) as the Sarasvati river and the Chautang river with the Drishadvati river of Vedic period, on the banks of which Indus-Sarasvati civilisation developed. such scholars include Gregory Possehl, J. M. Kenoyer, Bridget and Raymond Allchin, Michael Witzel, Kenneth Kennedy, Franklin Southworth, and numerous Indian archaeologists.

Gregory Possehl and Jane McIntosh refer to the Ghaggar-Hakra river as "Sarasvati" throughout their respective 2002 and 2008 books on the Indus Civilisation.

Gregory Possehl states:

"Linguistic, archaeological, and historical data show that the Sarasvati of the Vedas is the modern Ghaggar or Hakra."