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Ponds and lakes · Uttar Pradesh

Ponds and lakes in Varanasi

1,836ponds, out of 1,867 water bodies

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 1,867 ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies in Varanasi district. 471 of them (25%) were not in use and 563 had been encroached upon. Varanasi has the 49th most ponds of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh the census counted.

Every water body the census counted in Varanasi

471 of 1,867 water bodies (25%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.

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

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  • Ponds1,836
  • Tanks2
  • Lakes1
  • Reservoirs5
  • Check dams and percolation tanks23

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

Why Varanasi's ponds matter for its groundwater

89%Semi-critical

Varanasi pumps out 89% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year (2025, Central Ground Water Board), which the board rates semi-critical. Every pond that holds rain long enough for it to soak in puts some of that water back, so the 471 ponds and tanks not in use are a recharge opportunity going to waste.

Groundwater level in Varanasi

Bringing a pond in Varanasi 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.

Talk to TerraSetu about a pondPond rejuvenation: cost and processOther ways to recharge

Frequently asked questions

How many ponds are there in Varanasi?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 1,836 ponds in Varanasi district, out of 1,867 water bodies in all. That is the 49th most ponds of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh counted by the census.

How many lakes are there in Varanasi?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 1 lake and 5 reservoirs in Varanasi district, along with 2 tanks.

How many water bodies in Varanasi are not in use?

471 of the 1,867 water bodies (25%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 563 had been encroached upon.

How do ponds help groundwater in Varanasi?

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 Varanasi running out?

In the 2025 Central Ground Water Board assessment, Varanasi district pumped out 89% of the groundwater that can safely be taken out each year ("semi-critical").

Ponds in other districts of Uttar Pradesh

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

  1. 1Sitapur12,530 water bodies, 23% not in use12,521
  2. 2Barabanki9,085 water bodies, 42% not in use9,070
  3. 3Lakhimpur Kheri8,968 water bodies, 37% not in use8,927
  4. 4Bijnor7,465 water bodies, 70% not in use7,391
  5. 5Prayagraj7,565 water bodies, 23% not in use7,232
  6. 6Azamgarh7,143 water bodies, 23% not in use7,125
  7. 7Siddharth Nagar6,905 water bodies, 7% not in use6,905
  8. 8Ayodhya6,094 water bodies, 15% not in use6,080
  9. 9Unnao5,961 water bodies, 30% not in use5,947
  10. 10Gorakhpur5,974 water bodies, 5% not in use5,934
  11. 11Raibareli5,948 water bodies, 30% not in use5,933
  12. 12Sultanpur5,655 water bodies, 17% not in use5,632
  13. 13Bareilly5,636 water bodies, 50% not in use5,615
  14. 14Fatehpur5,370 water bodies, 6% not in use5,326
  15. 15Jaunpur5,268 water bodies, 23% not in use5,230
  16. 16Shahjahanpur5,176 water bodies, 35% not in use5,174
  17. 17Lucknow4,680 water bodies, 20% not in use4,662
  18. 18Pilibhit4,620 water bodies, 41% not in use4,594
  19. 19Deoria4,584 water bodies, 1% not in use4,582
  20. 20Mahrajganj4,612 water bodies, 14% not in use4,560
  21. 21Basti4,450 water bodies, 12% not in use4,414
  22. 22Hardoi4,357 water bodies, 15% not in use4,351
  23. 23Kushi Nagar4,245 water bodies, 2% not in use4,245
  24. 24Maunath Bhanjan3,733 water bodies, 21% not in use3,715
  25. 25Ambedkar Nagar3,316 water bodies, 36% not in use3,294
  26. 26Amethi3,283 water bodies, 29% not in use3,263
  27. 27Bahraich3,230 water bodies, 7% not in use3,224
  28. 28Ghazipur3,196 water bodies, 44% not in use3,193
  29. 29Kanpur Dehat3,190 water bodies, 41% not in use3,183
  30. 30Budaun3,208 water bodies, 6% not in use3,156
  31. 31Kanpur Nagar3,120 water bodies, 47% not in use3,105
  32. 32Pratapgarh3,089 water bodies, 9% not in use2,940
  33. 33Gonda2,932 water bodies, 16% not in use2,932
  34. 34Sant Kabir Nagar2,857 water bodies, 28% not in use2,840
  35. 35Kaushambi2,922 water bodies, 1% not in use2,835
  36. 36Sambhal2,808 water bodies, 73% not in use2,778
  37. 37Moradabad2,697 water bodies, 26% not in use2,688
  38. 38Rampur2,575 water bodies, 7% not in use2,571
  39. 39Auraiya2,568 water bodies, 27% not in use2,559
  40. 40Aligarh2,410 water bodies, 51% not in use2,403
  41. 41Agra2,421 water bodies, 21% not in use2,396
  42. 42Ballia2,286 water bodies, 15% not in use2,286
  43. 43Farrukhabad2,255 water bodies, 15% not in use2,254
  44. 44Bulandshahar2,163 water bodies, 82% not in use2,147
  45. 45Mathura1,999 water bodies, 22% not in use1,979
  46. 46Sant Ravidas Nagar1,958 water bodies, 34% not in use1,952
  47. 47Saharanpur1,900 water bodies, 39% not in use1,896
  48. 48Etah1,877 water bodies, 26% not in use1,861
  49. 49Meerut1,833 water bodies, 46% not in use1,829
  50. 50Etawah1,808 water bodies, 58% not in use1,806
  51. 51Balrampur1,752 water bodies, 6% not in use1,749
  52. 52Hathras1,711 water bodies, 46% not in use1,686
  53. 53Shrawasti1,697 water bodies, 0% not in use1,686
  54. 54Firozabad1,692 water bodies, 25% not in use1,639
  55. 55Mirzapur1,837 water bodies, 25% not in use1,600
  56. 56Chandauli1,588 water bodies, 8% not in use1,503
  57. 57Amroha1,456 water bodies, 95% not in use1,447
  58. 58Kannauj1,384 water bodies, 22% not in use1,346
  59. 59Muzaffarnagar1,327 water bodies, 30% not in use1,326
  60. 60Jalaun1,665 water bodies, 9% not in use1,317
  61. 61Sonbhadra1,179 water bodies, 28% not in use1,127
  62. 62Hamirpur1,435 water bodies, 22% not in use1,096
  63. 63Kasganj1,050 water bodies, 60% not in use1,032
  64. 64Mainpuri974 water bodies, 23% not in use974
  65. 65Banda1,285 water bodies, 23% not in use905
  66. 66Ghaziabad908 water bodies, 50% not in use904
  67. 67Jhansi1,476 water bodies, 1% not in use852
  68. 68Bagpat821 water bodies, 24% not in use814
  69. 69Hapur763 water bodies, 23% not in use761
  70. 70Mahoba1,178 water bodies, 8% not in use495
  71. 71Shamli432 water bodies, 70% not in use432
  72. 72Chitrakoot425 water bodies, 12% not in use365
  73. 73Gautam Buddh Nagar290 water bodies, 30% not in use280
  74. 74Lalitpur970 water bodies, 55% not in use205

All ponds and lakes in Uttar Pradesh