Daulat Beg Oldi on the northern bank of the river en route to the Karakoram Pass used to be a regular halting place.

Near Tianwendian more streams from the Depsang Plans join the river, bringing in water from the high mountains of Karakoram range to the west.

Near the Line of Actual Control that separates the Indian- and Chinese-controlled portions of Depsang Plains, the Lungnak Lungpa stream joins from north.

[6][7] But by 1960, China advanced its claim line to include a major portion of the Chip Chap river, coming within 4 miles of Daulat Beg Oldi.

[8][9] The Chip Chap river valley played a key role in the evolution of the border conflict between China and India in 1961–62.

The government directed the Indian army to patrol as far towards the international border as possible, asking it to establish posts so as to prevent the Chinese from advancing any further west.