Penganga River
The Penganga River originates from the Ajantha ranges in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra. It flows through Buldhana and Washim districts, then along the border of Washim and Hingoli districts. It acts as a boundary between Yavatmal and Nanded districts of Maharashtra before flowing along the state border between Maharashtra and Telangana, eventually converging into the Wardha River near Wadha in Wani Tehsil, Yavatmal district.
Penganga, while it is a tributary to the Godavari River, joins the Wainganga River from the north to form a conjoined stream called Pranhita. Pranhita is the one who later joins the Godavari as a tributary.
Course in Telangana
- Start: Guledi, Tamsi Mandal, Adilabad district
- End: Mangrool, Bela Mandal, Adilabad district
- Districts: Adilabad (Komoram Bheem Asifabad)
Tributaries
Right Bank Tributaries (Telangana)
- Origin: Forest area near Pimpalgaon Lendi village, Sindkhed Raja tehsil, Buldana district, Maharashtra. Storage Lake Ganeshpur at Mandivase Taluka - Chiplun, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
- Enters Telangana: Near Karanji village, Jainad Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Penganga River near Gomutri, Tamsi Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Reservoir: A reservoir at Gomutri Vagu with a storage capacity of 0.7 TMC has been sanctioned by the irrigation department at an estimated cost of ₹215 crore.
- Origin: Near Girgaon, Tamsi Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Penganga River near Wadoor, Bheempur Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Origin: Satnala Forest Block, near Indervally (K), Raju Guda and Potha Guda, Indervalley Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Penganga River near Pendalwada village, Jainad Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Tributaries: Mathadi Vagu and Metta Vagu
- Origin: Ambadi Forest block near Kosai village, Talamadugu Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Satnala River near Chanda-T village, Adilabad Rural Mandal.
- Origin: Satnala Forest Block near Asoda Bhurki village, Adilabad Rural, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Sathnala River, near Linda Sangvi Village, Adilabad Mandal.
- Origin: Satnala Forest Block, Masala Khurd near Kanpa Mediguda C, Jainath, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Penganga River near Kura Village, Jainad Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Origin: Satnala Forest Block, Boregaon, Bela Mandal, Adilabad district.
- Outflow: Penganga River near Khagdur and Mangrool village, Bela Mandal, Adilabad district.
Left Bank Tributary
Joins Penganga on the Maharashtra side near Kowtha Village in Mudhole Mandal, Adilabad district.
Irrigation Projects
Sathnala Dam
Location: Kappa village, Jainad Mandal, Adilabad district
Completed: 1986
Type: Medium Irrigation Project across Sathnala River, a tributary of Penganga in the Godavari Basin.
Distance: 185 km from Adilabad town and Railway Station.
Ayacut: 9,716 Ha (24,000 Acres) in Khariff, comprising I.D. Cotton, benefiting 25 villages in Jainath and Bela Mandals of Adilabad district.
Mathadi Vagu Project
Location: Across Mathadivagu near Waddai, Thamsi Mandal, Adilabad district under G7 Penganga Sub-Basin.
Ayacut: 8,500 Acres in Thamsi, Adilabad and Jainath Mandals.
Villages Benefited:
Lower Penganga Project (Interstate)
Type: Interstate Project between Maharashtra and Telangana.
Location: Head works near Tadsaoli Village in Ghatanji taluk, Yavathmal District, Maharashtra.
Water Sharing:
- Maharashtra: 37.55 TMC
- Telangana: 5.12 TMC
Link Canal: Takes off at KM 11.910 from Left Bank Canal, runs for about 90 km to create irrigation potential for about 19,232 Ha (47,520 Acres) in tribal and backward areas across 4 mandals – Tamsi, Adilabad, Jainath, and Bela – covering 89 villages of Adilabad District.
Barrages under the project:
- Rajapet Barrage: Cost and water sharing in 50:50 ratio
- Chanaka Barrage: Cost and water sharing in 20:80 ratio
- Pimparad Barrage: Cost and water sharing in 70:30 ratio
Korata-Chanaka Barrage
Location: Across Penganga River on the downstream of Lower Penganga Dam near Chanakha and Korata Village.
Cost: ₹1,227 crore
Objective: Irrigate 50,000 acres in Adilabad assembly constituency.
Legacy – A River of Cooperation and Growth
The Penganga River, though often overshadowed by its larger confluence into the Pranhita and Godavari, plays a crucial role in the lives of millions across Maharashtra and Telangana. Its waters, harnessed through major interstate projects like the Lower Penganga Project and the Korata-Chanaka Barrage, have transformed the agricultural landscape of Adilabad district.
The river's extensive network of tributaries, including the Gomutri Vagu, Satnala, Mathadi Vagu, and others, supports irrigation, drinking water, and livelihoods in some of the most backward and tribal-dominated regions of Telangana. The Sathnala Dam and the various lift irrigation schemes along the river exemplify the spirit of cooperation between states and the commitment to sustainable water management.
The Penganga River is not just a water body — it is a lifeline for Adilabad, a symbol of interstate cooperation, and a testament to the engineering vision that has brought water to the drylands of the Deccan.
- Origin: Ajantha ranges, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra
- Outflow: Wardha River near Wadha, Wani Tehsil, Yavatmal district
- Length: 676 km (420 mi)
- Drainage: 23,898 km²
- Elevation: 1,067 meters
- States: Maharashtra, Telangana
- Telangana Start: Guledi, Tamsi Mandal, Adilabad
- Telangana End: Mangrool, Bela Mandal, Adilabad
- Districts: Adilabad (Komoram Bheem Asifabad)
- Main Tributaries: Adan, Kas, Arunavati, Kayadhu, Pus
- Right Bank Tributaries (Telangana): Gomutri Vagu, Jella Vagu, Satnala River, Mathadi Vagu, Metta Vagu, Nallantiya Vagu, Khagdur Vagu
- Left Bank Tributary: Khuni River
- Major Projects: Sathnala Dam (1986, 24,000 acres), Mathadi Vagu Project (8,500 acres), Lower Penganga Project (47,520 acres), Korata-Chanaka Barrage (50,000 acres)
- Interstate Cooperation: Water sharing between Maharashtra and Telangana
- Wikipedia – Penganga River
- Wikipedia – Pranhita River
- The Hindu – Maharashtra Clears Barrage Construction by Telangana
- Government of Telangana – Irrigation & CAD Department
- Water Resources Department – Adilabad District
The Penganga – a river that binds states, sustains communities, and carries the hopes of Adilabad.