Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · Facts as of 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. River systems
| River | Telangana facts |
|---|---|
| Godavari | Largest river of the state; flows west → east through the north; Bhadrachalam is on its bank |
| Godavari tributaries | Manjira (joins near Kandakurthi, Nizamabad), Pranahita (formed by Wardha + Wainganga; border with Maharashtra), Kadem, Maneru, Kinnerasani, Indravati (border with Chhattisgarh) |
| Krishna | Enters in the south-west; forms part of the boundary with Andhra Pradesh |
| Krishna tributaries | Bhima, Tungabhadra (joins near Alampur), Dindi, Musi, Paleru, Munneru |
| Musi | Rises in the Ananthagiri hills (Vikarabad); flows through Hyderabad; joins the Krishna near Wazirabad (Suryapet) |
2. Major projects
| Project | River | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sriram Sagar (Pochampad) | Godavari | Nizamabad; major storage of north Telangana; Kakatiya canal |
| Nizam Sagar | Manjira | Kamareddy; built in the Nizam's time (completed 1931) |
| Singur | Manjira | Sangareddy; water supply to Hyderabad |
| Lower Manair Dam | Maneru | Karimnagar |
| Kadem | Kadem | Nirmal |
| Nagarjuna Sagar | Krishna | Shared with Andhra Pradesh (Nalgonda side); one of the largest masonry dams in the world; left canal serves Telangana |
| Srisailam | Krishna | Shared with AP; Left Bank power house is in Telangana |
| Priyadarshini Jurala | Krishna | Jogulamba Gadwal — first point of storage of the Krishna in Telangana |
| Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project | Godavari | Barrages at Medigadda (Lakshmi), Annaram (Saraswati) and Sundilla (Parvati); water lifted in stages to reservoirs such as Mallannasagar; inaugurated 21 June 2019. Piers of the Medigadda barrage sank in October 2023, and its safety review became a major issue |
| Palamuru–Rangareddy LIS | Krishna | Lift scheme for Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and Nalgonda |
| Osman Sagar & Himayat Sagar | Musi & Esi | Built after the Musi flood of 1908 — flood control and Hyderabad's water supply |
3. Programmes
- Mission Kakatiya (2015) — restoration (desilting, repairs) of the state's minor irrigation tanks, named after the Kakatiya tank tradition.
- Mission Bhagiratha — treated drinking water piped to every household from reservoirs; launched in 2016.
4. Water-sharing
- Krishna waters are governed by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal; after bifurcation the AP Reorganisation Act set up the Krishna River Management Board and Godavari River Management Board.
Revision SummaryQuick recap
- Godavari (north) — Manjira, Pranahita, Kadem, Maneru; Krishna (south) — Bhima, Tungabhadra, Musi, Dindi.
- Sriram Sagar (Godavari), Nizam Sagar (Manjira), Jurala and Nagarjuna Sagar (Krishna).
- Kaleshwaram — Medigadda, Annaram, Sundilla barrages; opened 2019.
- Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar — after the 1908 Musi flood.
- Mission Kakatiya (tanks, 2015); Mission Bhagiratha (drinking water, 2016).