Indus River in Ladakh: How long will the Lion River roar?

River Indus, it is said, originates from the mouth of a lion in Mansarovar, in China-controlled Tibet. Thus it is also called Sengge Tsangpo or Lion River. As it flows from Tibet to Ladakh to Pakistan before meeting the Arabian Sea, it symbolically binds the people of the three nations. It is a common lifeline. One only wishes these ties could secure peace between warring neighbours.

One of the earliest human civilisations settled on the banks of the Indus. Even now, as you come down Tanglang La, you spot the first permanent settlements and green zone after Jispa at Rumtse, located along one of its tributaries.

Climate change is, however, impacting this majestic river. I tried to book a whitewater rafting session on the Indus but the water volume was too low. Every passing year aggravates the situation. Ladakhis may still get by, used as they are to surviving harsh conditions; the bigger threat is to the millions of Pakistanis who have no other source of fresh water.

Few rivers in the world can boast of flowing through as stunning a landscape as the Indus, also known as Sindhu in Sanskrit. As you drive southeast along its banks towards Tso Moriri or northwest towards Batalik before it enters Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, you will see it flow by valleys and gorges and peaks of countless hues.

Can you imagine setting up home along its banks?

Tagged as: Indus, Ladakh, Lion River, Sengge Tsangpo