Piandzh

(until 1931, Sarai Komar; from 1931 to 1936, Baumanabad; from 1936 to 1963, Kirovabad), a city (since 1953) and administrative center of Piandzh Raion, Kuliab Oblast, Tadzhik SSR. Located on the Piandzh River, 206 km from Dushanbe. Population, 6,600 (1973). Piandzh has a cotton-ginning plant.

(also Panj), a river along the USSR (Tadzhik SSR) and Afghani border, a left fork of the Amu Darya. The Piandzh is 921 km long and drains an area of 114,000 sq km. Formed by the confluence of the Pamir (flowing out of Lake Zorkul’) and Vakhandar’ia rivers, it flows primarily in a narrow valley. It is fed by glaciers and snow. The mean flow rate is 1,000 cu m per sec. The main tributaries on the right are the Gunt, Bartang, Iazgulem, Vanch, and Kyzylsu. The waters of the Piandzh are used for irrigation. The Dushanbe-Khorog highway follows the river valley, and the cities of Khorog and Piandzh are on the river.