Dras River

The Dras River is 86 km (53 mi) long and flows entirely in the Dras Valley. Its source lies in the Machoi Glacier near Zojila Pass, the gateway to Ladakh, 26 km (16 mi) east of Sonamarg and 120 km (75 mi) east of Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The Machoi Glacier is also the source of the Sind River, which flows through the neighbouring Kashmir Valley in the opposite direction to the Dras River. The Dras River flows northeast, fed by many glacial streams. NH 1D, a national highway connecting Srinagar with Leh, runs parallel to the river. The river forms the Dras Valley at Dras, where it is joined by two tributaries, the Mashko Nala and Gamru Nala, which originate in the glaciers of Mashko Valley. In the Dras Valley, the road connecting Dras and Gurais runs parallel to the river.