Skip to content
Ponds and lakes · Telangana

Ponds and lakes in Nizamabad

461ponds, out of 1,333 water bodies

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 1,333 ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies in Nizamabad district. 16 of them (1%) were not in use and 51 had been encroached upon. Nizamabad has the 21st most ponds of the 26 districts in Telangana the census counted.

Every water body the census counted in Nizamabad

16 of 1,333 water bodies (1%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.

Loading the census list…

Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies (2018-19), via India-WRIS.

Loading the map of water bodies in Nizamabad…

  • Ponds461
  • Tanks653
  • Reservoirs4
  • Check dams and percolation tanks195
  • Others20

Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).

Why Nizamabad's ponds matter for its groundwater

52%Safe

Nizamabad pumps out 52% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year (2025, Central Ground Water Board), which the board rates safe. Working ponds are a large part of what keeps it there, by letting rain soak back into the ground.

Bringing a pond in Nizamabad back

Most ponds that are not in use can be revived. The work is the same in a village or a city sector:

Step 1

Survey

Map the pond's full original area, its inlets and its catchment, and record encroachments and sewage outfalls.

Step 2

Desilt

Dig out the silt that has sealed the bed, so water soaks into the ground again instead of evaporating.

Step 3

Reconnect

Clear and line the channels that bring rain in, with a silt trap before the pond; divert sewage away from it.

Step 4

Recharge

Add recharge shafts or wells in the bed where the soil is tight, so water reaches the aquifer faster.

Step 5

Protect

Fence or plant the banks, mark the boundary and hand upkeep to the panchayat or residents' body.

Frequently asked questions

How many ponds are there in Nizamabad?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 461 ponds in Nizamabad district, out of 1,333 water bodies in all. That is the 21st most ponds of 26 districts in Telangana counted by the census.

How many lakes are there in Nizamabad?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 0 lakes and 4 reservoirs in Nizamabad district, along with 653 tanks.

How many water bodies in Nizamabad are not in use?

16 of the 1,333 water bodies (1%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 51 had been encroached upon.

How do ponds help groundwater in Nizamabad?

A working pond holds rain long enough for it to soak into the ground and refill wells and borewells nearby. A silted or encroached pond sends that rain down the drain instead. Desilting, reopening inlets and adding recharge shafts in the pond bed are among the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.

Is groundwater in Nizamabad running out?

In the 2025 Central Ground Water Board assessment, Nizamabad district pumped out 52% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year ("safe").

Ponds in other districts of Telangana

Districts ranked by number of ponds in the 1st Census of Water Bodies.

  1. 1Medak3,407 water bodies, 17% not in use2,126
  2. 2Nagarkurnool3,083 water bodies, 36% not in use1,581
  3. 3Jangaon5,032 water bodies, 38% not in use1,498
  4. 4Siddipet3,316 water bodies, 15% not in use1,386
  5. 5Sangareddy3,260 water bodies, 20% not in use1,317
  6. 6Yadadri Bhuvanagiri2,542 water bodies, 25% not in use1,239
  7. 7Mahabubabad2,344 water bodies, 3% not in use1,238
  8. 8Karimnagar1,544 water bodies, 4% not in use1,147
  9. 9Nalgonda1,970 water bodies, 51% not in use1,114
  10. 10Jogulamba Gadwal1,338 water bodies, 42% not in use881
  11. 11Komarambheem Asifabad1,873 water bodies, 4% not in use779
  12. 12Bhadradri Kothagudem3,125 water bodies, 4% not in use743
  13. 13Mancherial1,733 water bodies, 3% not in use716
  14. 14Peddapalle1,410 water bodies, 6% not in use679
  15. 15Khammam1,683 water bodies, 3% not in use651
  16. 16Vikarabad1,358 water bodies, 31% not in use591
  17. 17Wanaparthy1,490 water bodies, 14% not in use588
  18. 18Jagtial1,161 water bodies, 11% not in use578
  19. 19Suryapet1,106 water bodies, 26% not in use510
  20. 20Rajanna Siricilla842 water bodies, 6% not in use471
  21. 21Medchal Malkajgiri533 water bodies, 63% not in use360
  22. 22Adilabad2,377 water bodies, 21% not in use319
  23. 23Nirmal1,016 water bodies, 3% not in use292
  24. 24Kamareddy3,174 water bodies, 5% not in use195
  25. 25Hyderabad94 water bodies, 12% not in use64

All ponds and lakes in Telangana