Chambal

a river in India, a right tributary of the Jamna River. The Chambal is approximately 830 km long and drains an area of approximately 135,000 sq km. It rises in the northern part of the Deccan Plateau, in the Vindhya Mountains, and flows over the Malwa Plateau; its lower course lies in the Gangetic Plain. The Chambal is fed by rain, and high water occurs in the summer. The mean flow rate is approximately 600 cu m per sec, with a maximum of approximately 20,000 cu m per sec. There are large hydroelectric complexes on the Chambal, including three power plants with a total output of 275 megawatts. The river also supplies an irrigation system that waters 440,000 hectares. Regulation of the water flow has decreased the rate of erosion, which had been catastrophic. Some sections of the river are navigable. The city of Kota is situated on the Chambal.