Sutlej River is the longest branch of the Indus, the chief river of Pakistan. The Sutlej rises in the plateau of Tibet, in southwestern China, nearly 3 miles (5 kilometers) above sea level. The river winds through the Himalaya and crosses northwestern India. Then it flows southwest through Pakistan’s Punjab province. It joins the Indus in the east-central part of Pakistan. The Sutlej is about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) long. It is a major source of water for the dry Punjab plains. One of the world’s highest dams, the Bhakra Dam, rises 741 feet (226 meters) above the river near Bhakra, India.
