Survey
Map the pond's full original area, its inlets and its catchment, and record encroachments and sewage outfalls.
Ponds and lakes in Haryana
14,376ponds, out of 14,898 water bodies
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 14,898 water bodies in Haryana. 6,104 of them were not in use and 50 had been encroached upon. Pick a district below to see its ponds on a map, village by village.
What the census counted in Haryana
6,104 of 14,898 water bodies (41%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
14,898ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
14,376of them are ponds (96%)
59%still in use (8,794)
50encroached upon
- Ponds14,376
- Tanks350
- Lakes18
- Reservoirs132
- Check dams and percolation tanks6
- Others16
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
Ponds in each district of Haryana
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.
- 1Palwal1,218 water bodies, 56% not in use1,217
- 2Hisar1,086 water bodies, 27% not in use1,084
- 3Jind1,026 water bodies, 20% not in use992
- 4Jhajjar994 water bodies, 49% not in use976
- 5Sonipat982 water bodies, 17% not in use964
- 6Sirsa1,260 water bodies, 15% not in use919
- 7Mahendragarh868 water bodies, 100% not in use868
- 8Yamuna Nagar799 water bodies, 35% not in use793
- 9Ambala775 water bodies, 88% not in use774
- 10Rewari771 water bodies, 6% not in use762
- 11Kaithal738 water bodies, 25% not in use670
- 12Rohtak651 water bodies, 94% not in use651
- 13Kurukshetra645 water bodies, 24% not in use645
- 14Panipat574 water bodies, 54% not in use571
- 15Gurugram535 water bodies, 51% not in use521
- 16Charkhi Dadri437 water bodies, 24% not in use432
- 17Nuh337 water bodies, 71% not in use337
- 18Fatehabad270 water bodies, 0% not in use270
- 19Faridabad265 water bodies, 3% not in use263
- 20Bhiwani258 water bodies, 7% not in use258
- 21Panchkula209 water bodies, 43% not in use209
- 22Karnal200 water bodies, 99% not in use200
Groundwater in Haryana
Ponds are one way rain gets back into the ground. See how hard Haryana is pumping its groundwater, district by district.
Bringing a pond in Haryana back
Most ponds that are not in use can be revived. The work is the same in a village or a city sector:
Desilt
Dig out the silt that has sealed the bed, so water soaks into the ground again instead of evaporating.
Reconnect
Clear and line the channels that bring rain in, with a silt trap before the pond; divert sewage away from it.
Recharge
Add recharge shafts or wells in the bed where the soil is tight, so water reaches the aquifer faster.
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 Haryana?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 14,376 ponds in Haryana, out of 14,898 water bodies in all.
How many lakes are there in Haryana?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 18 lakes and 132 reservoirs in Haryana, along with 350 tanks.
How many water bodies in Haryana are not in use?
6,104 of the 14,898 water bodies (41%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 50 had been encroached upon.
Which district of Haryana has the most ponds?
Palwal, with 1,217 ponds and 1,218 water bodies in all, according to the 1st Census of Water Bodies.
How do ponds help groundwater in Haryana?
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.