Jumna

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Jumna

( Yamuna ; the Diamouna of Ptolemy, Jomanes of Pliny, and Jobares of Arrian). — A great river of Northern India. Rising in the Tehrl State (31 degree 1’ N., 78 degree 27' E.), eight miles west of the lofty moun- tain Bandarpunch (20,731 feet), it flows past the sacred shrine of Jamnotri, and winds through the Outer Himalayas for 80 miles, receiving a few small streams. At the point where it passes into the Dun, the valley between the Himalayas and the Siwaliks, it receives the Tons, which is there the larger stream. Its course now runs south- west for 22 miles, dividing the Kiarda Dun (Punjab) from Dehra Dun (United Provinces) ; two large affluents, the Giri from Sirmur on the west and the Asan from Dehra on the east, join it here. The Jumna pierces the Siwiliks 95 miles from its source, at Khara, and divides Ambala and Karnal Districts in the Punjab from Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar in the United Provinces. It is a large river at Faizabad, where it gives off the Western and Eastern Jumna Canals. Near Bidhaull in Muzaffarnagar it turns due south, and runs in that direction for 80 miles, dividing Meerut District from the Punjab, till it reaches Delhi. Ten miles below Delhi it gives off the Agra Canal from its western bank at Okhla. It then turns south-east for 27 miles to Dankaur, when it again resumes a southerly course. In this portion it receives on the east the Kotha Nadl and the Hindan, and on the west the Sabi Nadi Below Delhi the river forms the boundary between Gurgaon District in the Punjab and Bulandshahr and Allgarh Districts in the United Provinces. It then enters Muttra and, crossing it, turns east till the borders of Agra are reached. Throughout its course in this District, where it receives the Banganga, and also in Etawah, it winds in a remarkable manner, its bed lying between high banks which are furrowed by steep ravines. Just before Jalaun District is reached the great river Chambal from Rajputana joins it ; and the Jumna then divides the three Districts of Cawnpore, Fatehpur, and Allahabad from

Jalaun, Hamlrpur, and Banda. In Cawnpore District the Sengar, and in Fatehpur the Non and Rind, flow into it ; close to Hamlrpur it receives the Betwa, and in Banda District the Ken. It finally fails into the Ganges below Allahabad, 860 miles from its source.

The Jumna, after issuing from the hills, has a longer course in the United Provinces than the Ganges ; but it is not so large or important a river, and does not carry as much water as is required by the canals taken from it The supply is therefore increased from the Ganges by means of the cut into the Hindan ; and the Irrigation Commission ( 1 901) recently proposed to make more water from the Ganges available by increasing the supply of the Lower Ganges Canal through a cut from the Sarda. The Jumna supplies drinking-water to the cities of Agra and Allahabad, which possesses, when fresh, special virtue in destroying the enteric microbe. It is crossed by railway bridges near SarsHwa in Saharanpur, at Delhi, Muttra, Agra, Kalpi (2,626 feet in width), and Allahabad (3,230 feet). The breadth of water-surface in the dry season varies from 2,600 feet at Okhla and 1,500 feet at KalpI to 2,200 feet at Allahabad. The discharge in flood at Okhla is about 41,000 cubic feet per second, but this dwindles away to less than 200 in the dry season. The Jumna drains a total area of about 1 18,000 square miles.

The traffic on the Jumna was formerly of some importance, and large sums were spent in clearing away reefs of kankar (nodular lime- stone) and conglomerate in Etawah District Before the opening of the East Indian Railway, much cotton grown in Bundelkhand was sent down the river from Kalpi. At present timber is carried down the upper portion, and stone and grain in the lower courses. The principal towns on or near its bank are : Delhi in the Punjab ; and Baghpat, Mat, Brindaban, Muttra, Mahaban, Agra, Firozabad, Batesar, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, and Allahabad in the United Provinces.