Sharda
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Overview
The Sharda rises near Kalapani in the Kumaon Himalaya and is called the Kali (Mahakali) where it forms the boundary between India and Nepal.
Below the hills it enters the plains at Banbasa, where a barrage feeds the Sharda canal system of Uttar Pradesh, and it joins the Ghaghara near Bahramghat.
The Mahakali Treaty of 1996 between India and Nepal deals with its water and the Pancheshwar project.
Geography and key facts
- Called the Kali/Mahakali on the India–Nepal border
- Rises near Kalapani, Uttarakhand
- Banbasa barrage; Sharda canal
- Joins the Ghaghara
Why it matters for UPSC
The Mahakali Treaty and the Kalapani–Lipulekh dispute are India–Nepal topics.
Note for UPSC
Called the Kali on the India–Nepal border; joins the Ghaghara.
Prelims asks about tributaries, the states a river flows through, its basin and the projects on it, so trace the course on the map.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Sharda yet.
Key facts
- Type
- River
- State / UT
- Uttarakhand
- River system
- Himalayan
- Basin
- Ganga
- Extent on map
- 28.8°–30.1°N, 80.1°–80.8°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physical Features and Drainage of India (map lesson)
- Drainage Systems of India: Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers (map lesson)
- The Harappan (Indus Valley) Civilisation (map lesson)
- Harappan Civilisation: Sites, Town Planning and Phases (map lesson)
- Mahajanapadas and the Rise of Magadha (map lesson)