river, tributary of the God─vari River, western India. It rises in the Mah─deo Hills in south-central Madhya Pradesh state and flows 360 miles (580 km) south to join the Wardha River (a headwater of the God─vari) northeast of K─gaznagar in Mah─r─shtra state. Along the final 142 miles (229 km) of its course, the river forms the boundary between Mah─r─shtra and Andhra Pradesh states and is known as the Pr─nhita. The Wainganga River valley is forested and relatively sparsely populated, except in the northern industrial area around N─gpur city in Mah─r─shtra state. Most of the population is concentrated along the river, where rice is extensively irrigated. Major river towns include K─mptee, Bhand─ra, and Pauni.