Kanhan River

Kanhan River (कन्हान नदी)
River
Kanhan River near Ramakona.
Country	India
States	Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
Region	Vidharba
Districts	Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh, Nagpur District, Maharashtra
Tributaries
- left	Pench River, Sand River
- right	Bel River, Jam River, Kolar River, Nag River
Cities	Damua, Sausar, Kamthi
Landmarks	Waki, Jaoli, Kekranala
Source	Satpura Range
- location	Chindwara District, Madhya Pradesh
- coordinates	22°14′N 78°25′E / 22.233°N 78.417°E / 22.233; 78.417
Mouth	Wainganga River
- location	Ambora, Nagpur district, Maharashtra
- coordinates	21°04′N 79°35′E / 21.067°N 79.583°E / 21.067; 79.583Coordinates: 21°04′N 79°35′E / 21.067°N 79.583°E / 21.067; 79.583
Length	275 km (171 mi)

The Kanhan River is an important right bank tributary of the Wainganga River draining a large area lying south of Satpura range in central India. Along its 275 km run through the Indian States of Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh, it receives its largest tributary - Pench River, a major water source for the metropolis of Nagpur.

Kanhan was surprisingly not mentioned in the 2001 list of notified rivers in Maharashtra which has led to unrestricted exploitation in the form of sand mining along the river bed.^[1] This failure to recognise its presence has been viewed as a deliberate attempt at unregulated economic gains.The catchment area has also seen large scale coal mining in recent years. Efforts are currently underway to notify the river to prevent further environmental damage.This has been undermined by plans^[2] for construction of a barrage.

Sources

The Kanhan rises on the slopes of the hills at the southern edge of the Satpura range to the north of Damua, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India. The source lacks clear documentation and is not celebrated or considered holy, unlike most other rivers of a similar size.

Course

Within Madhya Pradesh

The Kanhan is Wainganga's longest tributary, at 275 km. It rises in the southern spurs of the Satpura Range in the north-western region of Chindwara District. Flowing south from its origin, Damua is the first town it encounters. Here it intersects the town and allows for its flow to be controlled by means of a dam.It then runs along a south & southeastern direction, meandering through the countryside of Chindwara District where it has been productively harnessed for growing Tur dal and cotton. The river comes to lie about 5 km to the south of Deogarh fort where it humbly receives an insignificant tributary.Upon reaching the town of Ramakona it is crossed by a rail bridge as well as another road bridge which supports NH-26 B. Nearly at the end of its course in Madhya Pradesh, it is joined by Jam River, and for a short distance provides a natural boundary with adjoining state Maharashtra.

Within Maharashtra

Within Maharashtra the river is at its widest at Kamptee where it receives the Pench River- a left bank tributary and its largest one. Another tributary connecting it at its right bank is Kolar River - the spill off from Kolar Dam. The river now comes to be at the northeast of Nagpur from which it receives the metropolitan city's effluent waste by way of the Nag River. A little further from Kamptee, it flows along the town Kanhan - its etymology derived from the river. Situated alongside the town is a large coal mine, one of the many coal mines situated along its river basin. From here the river flows south-east and ends its course by joining the Wainganga at the village of Ambora in Nagpur District.

Dam

Sand mining activities takes place on a large scale on the Kanhan river bed preventing the construction of any major dams .^[3] Kochi barrage is one of the proposed projects on Kanhan river.

Surroundings

^[4] Mauda Super Thermal Power Station, Koradi Thermal Power Station and Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station are on the bank of Kanhan River.

Mauda Town, Kamthi, Kanhan, Sausar, Hirdagarh, Damua are few major town and cities on the bank of Kanhan River.

NH-69 A, NH-26 B, NH-7, NH-6 are major National Highway crossing Kanhan River.

News

In sep 2012, a youngster duo who went to swim in the river were later discovered dead along the banks, allegedly drowned in the river.^[5]

References

Godavari basin
Rivers	Major tributaries Godavari Pranhita Indravati Sabari Manjira Manair Wardha Wainganga Penganga Minor tributaries Pravara Kinnerasani Purna Sileru Sindphana Taliperu Sub-tributaries Adan Banganga Bindusara Darna Kadva Kanhan Kolar Nasardi Pench Purna Shivana
Dams, barrages	Jayakwadi Dam Majalgaon Dam Sriram Sagar Project Nizam Sagar Upper Wardha Dam Singur Reservoir Neher water system Dowleswaram Barrage Balimela Reservoir Devadula lift irrigation scheme Upper Dudhana Dam Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects
Geographical features / regions	Marathwada Vidarbha Coastal Andhra Konaseema Deccan Plateau Western Ghats Eastern Ghats
Riparian districts	Maharashtra Nashik Ahmednagar Aurangabad Parbhani Nanded Gadchiroli Beed Amravati Bhandara Gondia Chandrapur Wardha Nagpur Yavatmal Washim Buldhana Hingoli Madhya Pradesh Balaghat Seoni Betul Chhindwara Odisha Kalahandi Koraput Malkangiri Chhattisgarh Bastar Bijapur Karnataka Bidar Telangana Medak Nizamabad Adilabad Karimnagar Warangal Khammam Andhra Pradesh West Godavari East Godavari Vishakapatnam
Cities	Nashik Nagpur Nanded Rajahmundry Warangal Koraput Bastar Bidar
Languages / people	Indo-Aryan languages Marathi Bhili Khandeshi Andh Banjari Odia Bhunjia Hindi Dravidian languages Kolami Goni Telugu Kannadiga Duruwa Multani Urdu
Coalfields	Godavari Valley Coalfield Wardha Valley Coalfield Kamptee Coalfield Pench Kanhan Coalfield
Oil / gas fields	Krishna Godavari Basin Ravva oil field
Industries	Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station Koradi Thermal Power Station Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station Wardha Warora Power Plant Lanco Vidarbha Power Plant Nashik Thermal Power Station Dhariwal Power Station RattanIndia Nashik Thermal Power Station Kothagudem Thermal Power Station Kakatiya Thermal Power Station Parli Thermal Power Station NTPC Ramagundam NTPC Mauda Super Thermal Power Station Ramagundam B Thermal Power Station Tiroda Thermal Power Station Butibori Power Project Heavy Water Plant at Manuguru Waluj MIDC Shendra MIDC Shendra – Bidkin Industrial Park Ballarpur Industries HAL Sunabeda NALCO Damanjodi
Transport	NH 5 National Highway 6 (India)(old numbering) NH 7 Godavari Bridge Old Godavari Bridge Godavari Arch Bridge Hyderabad-Godavari Valley Railways Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada section Bilaspur–Nagpur section Nagpur–Hyderabad line
Related topics	Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal
Other basins	Mahanadi–Brahmani–Baitarani Damodar Kosi Narmada Son Krishna Penna