The Wainganga is a river in India originating in the Mahadeo Hills in Mundara near the village Gopalganj in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. It is a key tributary of the Godavari. The river flows south in a winding course through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, roughly . After joining the Wardha River, the united stream, which is known as the Pranahita River, empties into the Godavari River at Kaleshwaram, Telangana. Course The main stream of the Wainganga originates at Mahadev hills near Gopalganj, Seoni District, on the southern slopes of the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh. The river has developed extensive floodplains characterized by sweeping graceful meanders, low alluvial flats, and slip-off slopes. The river has high banks, which measure from to on either side. The northern part is surrounded by the Mahadeo hills and Satpura Range, with an average elevation of 625 m (2,051 ft) above sea level. The valley of the Wainganga River is forested and sparsely populated. Balaghat, Bhandara Seoni and Gadchiroli are the major cities located on the bank of the Wainganga River, while Pauni, Tirora and Bramhapuri are smaller urban centers on the smallest of the river banks. The Wainganga River is the water lifeline of these cities and their primary source of water. The Government of Maharashtra is developing a protection wall for Bhandara to protect it from heavy flooding. This flood protection wall encircles Bhandara from east to south. Tributaries The Wainganga river receives numerous tributaries on both sides and drains the western, central, and eastern regions of the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia, and Nagpur Districts of Maharashtra. The main tributaries of the Wainganga River are the Thel, Thanwar, Bagh, Chulband, Garhavi, Khobragadi, and Kathani, which meet on the left bank; and the Hirri, Chandan, Bawanthari, Kanhan, and Mul joining on the right bank. Thanwar The Thanwar River joins the Wainganga at the Nainpur Forest Range, at the border of the Seoni District and Mandla District, before the Dhuty Dam on the Wainganga. It originates from the forest of Chiraidongri in the Mandla District. There is a medium-sized dam at the village of Bejegaon on the bank of this river, which opened in 1980. River water stored in the dam is used to irrigate the farmland of 50 villages. The Halon River and the Chakor River (catchment from Nainpur Forest Range) are some of the well-known tributaries