Natural Resources — Rivers and Minerals

Two major rivers of India flow through Telangana and are the backbone of its water resources: the Godavari and the Krishna. The Godavari, entering from the north and flowing along and through the state, is the larger of the two and is the source drawn upon by the state's biggest lift-irrigation works. The Krishna and its tributaries serve the southern parts of the state. Because much of Telangana sits on a plateau above these river valleys, water often has to be lifted from the rivers to reach farmland — a fact that explains the design of its flagship irrigation projects.

Telangana is also comparatively rich in minerals. Its most important mineral resource is coal, mined chiefly in the Godavari valley coalfields and worked by the state-associated Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) — one of the country's significant coal producers and a major regional employer. Other minerals found in the state include limestone (feeding a large cement industry), bauxite, mica, feldspar and various building stones, including the granite for which the region is well known. …