Which States Does the Indus River Flow Through? India & Pakistan

The Indus River—one of Asia's great rivers—flows through two countries and multiple states/provinces.

India (Upper Reaches)

• Ladakh (Union Territory): Source near Mount Kailash (Tibet), enters India in Ladakh. Flows northwest through Leh region.
• Jammu & Kashmir (Union Territory): Brief passage through Kargil/Dras sector (Line of Control area).
• Punjab (State): Enters plains at Pathankot; receives five tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) – "Punjab" = "Five Rivers."
• Himachal Pradesh (State): Tributaries (Beas, Sutlej) originate here; main stem doesn't flow through.
• Rajasthan (State): Only the Sutlej (tributary) enters briefly in northwest; main Indus does not.
• Gujarat (State): Only the easternmost distributaries of the Indus Delta (in Rann of Kutch) touch Gujarat during extreme floods. Main river is in Pakistan.

Pakistan (Main Course)

• Gilgit-Baltistan: Enters from Ladakh; flows through Skardu, Gilgit.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Swat, Kabul rivers join.
• Punjab (Province): Major agricultural heartland; Tarbela Dam, Chashma Barrage.
• Sindh (Province): Lower Indus; Sukkur, Kotri barrages; massive irrigation network.
• Indus Delta: Fans out near Thatta/Karachi; mangroves, disappearing due to reduced flow.

Clarification on Indian States

The main Indus channel only flows through Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir (UTs) in India. Punjab, Himachal, Rajasthan, Gujarat receive tributaries or distributaries, not the main stem. The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) allocates eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) to India; western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan.

So: Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (main river); Punjab, HP, Rajasthan, Gujarat (tributaries/distributaries only). Pakistan gets the full main stem.