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Ponds and lakes · State

Ponds and lakes in Assam

1,68,520ponds, out of 1,72,492 water bodies

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 1,72,492 water bodies in Assam. 3,140 of them were not in use and 13 had been encroached upon. Pick a district below to see its ponds on a map, village by village.

What the census counted in Assam

3,140 of 1,72,492 water bodies (2%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.

1,72,492ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
1,68,520of them are ponds (98%)
98%still in use (1,69,352)
13encroached upon
  • Ponds1,68,520
  • Tanks225
  • Lakes196
  • Reservoirs100
  • Check dams and percolation tanks14
  • Others3,437

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

Ponds in each district of Assam

Districts ranked by number of ponds. The bar shows ponds; the line under each name shows all water bodies and how many are not in use.

  1. 1Dibrugarh14,037 water bodies, 1% not in use13,877
  2. 2Kokrajhar10,835 water bodies, 0% not in use10,832
  3. 3Karimganj10,589 water bodies, 0% not in use10,530
  4. 4Dhubri10,509 water bodies, 2% not in use10,296
  5. 5Golaghat9,496 water bodies, 2% not in use9,235
  6. 6Goalpara9,007 water bodies, 1% not in use8,867
  7. 7Morigaon7,803 water bodies, 1% not in use7,753
  8. 8Cachar7,214 water bodies, 5% not in use6,659
  9. 9Lakhimpur6,881 water bodies, 8% not in use6,568
  10. 10Dhemaji6,446 water bodies, 1% not in use6,330
  11. 11Sonitpur5,999 water bodies, 1% not in use5,981
  12. 12Nagaon5,908 water bodies, 5% not in use5,586
  13. 13Udalguri5,621 water bodies, 1% not in use5,537
  14. 14Tinsukia5,146 water bodies, 6% not in use4,969
  15. 15Hailakandi4,850 water bodies, 2% not in use4,689
  16. 16Barpeta4,586 water bodies, 1% not in use4,543
  17. 17Sibsagar4,353 water bodies, 2% not in use4,217
  18. 18Baksa4,181 water bodies, 0% not in use4,170
  19. 19Bongaigaon4,147 water bodies, 0% not in use4,135
  20. 20Nalbari3,414 water bodies, 0% not in use3,405
  21. 21Chirang3,042 water bodies, 1% not in use3,006
  22. 22Jorhat3,138 water bodies, 5% not in use2,978
  23. 23Darrang2,006 water bodies, 3% not in use1,979
  24. 24Karbi Anglong1,830 water bodies, 0% not in use1,800
  25. 25Kamrup (M)1,619 water bodies, 1% not in use1,604
  26. 26Dima Hasao487 water bodies, 0% not in use486

Groundwater in Assam

Ponds are one way rain gets back into the ground. See how hard Assam is pumping its groundwater, district by district.

Groundwater level in Assam

Bringing a pond in Assam 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 Assam?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 1,68,520 ponds in Assam, out of 1,72,492 water bodies in all.

How many lakes are there in Assam?

The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 196 lakes and 100 reservoirs in Assam, along with 225 tanks.

How many water bodies in Assam are not in use?

3,140 of the 1,72,492 water bodies (2%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 13 had been encroached upon.

Which district of Assam has the most ponds?

Dibrugarh, with 13,877 ponds and 14,037 water bodies in all, according to the 1st Census of Water Bodies.

How do ponds help groundwater in Assam?

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.