Kanhan River
Kanhan River near Ramakona.
Location
Country	India
State	Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
Region	Vidharba
District	Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh, Nagpur District, Maharashtra
Cities	Junnardeo, Damua, Sausar, Kamthi
Physical characteristics
Source	Satpura Range
• location	Chhindwara 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; 79.583
Length	275 km (171 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Pench River, Sand River
• right	Bel River, Jam River, Kolar River, Nag River

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 and Madhya Pradesh, it receives its largest tributary - Pench River, a major water source for the metropolis of Nagpur.

Kanhan was 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. The river was perennial until a few decades ago, but now goes dry by February every year.^[3]

Sources

The Kanhan rises on the slopes of the hills at the southern edge of the Satpura range to the north of Damua and west of Junnardeo, 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 Maharashtra

Kanhan river near Khapa in 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 .^[4] Kochi barrage is one of the proposed projects on Kanhan river.

Surroundings

^[5] 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 September 2012, a youngster duo who went to swim in the river were later discovered dead along the banks, allegedly drowned in the river.^[6]

References