Survey
Map the pond's full original area, its inlets and its catchment, and record encroachments and sewage outfalls.
Ponds and lakes in Punjab
15,064ponds, out of 16,012 water bodies
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 16,012 water bodies in Punjab. 8,332 of them were not in use and 1,578 had been encroached upon. Pick a district below to see its ponds on a map, village by village.
What the census counted in Punjab
8,332 of 16,012 water bodies (52%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
16,012ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
15,064of them are ponds (94%)
48%still in use (7,680)
1,578encroached upon
- Ponds15,064
- Tanks589
- Lakes151
- Reservoirs31
- Check dams and percolation tanks36
- Others141
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
Ponds in each district of Punjab
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.
- 1Gurdaspur1,484 water bodies, 96% not in use1,420
- 2Patiala1,365 water bodies, 99% not in use1,320
- 3Jalandhar1,315 water bodies, 68% not in use1,264
- 4Hoshiarpur1,265 water bodies, 57% not in use1,195
- 5Ludhiana1,189 water bodies, 97% not in use1,122
- 6Amritsar1,055 water bodies, 3% not in use1,050
- 7Tarn Taran735 water bodies, 18% not in use728
- 8Mansa707 water bodies, 76% not in use687
- 9Bathinda573 water bodies, 1% not in use573
- 10Fatehgarh Sahib639 water bodies, 54% not in use529
- 11Kapurthala527 water bodies, 32% not in use518
- 12Firozpur493 water bodies, 25% not in use492
- 13Fazilka714 water bodies, 2% not in use485
- 14Moga480 water bodies, 0% not in use480
- 15SBS Nagar494 water bodies, 91% not in use441
- 16Muktsar436 water bodies, 33% not in use427
- 17Rupnagar397 water bodies, 59% not in use390
- 18SAS Nagar496 water bodies, 61% not in use377
- 19Faridkot184 water bodies, 17% not in use184
- 20Barnala148 water bodies, 99% not in use145
- 21Pathankot186 water bodies, 62% not in use107
Groundwater in Punjab
Ponds are one way rain gets back into the ground. See how hard Punjab is pumping its groundwater, district by district.
Bringing a pond in Punjab 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 Punjab?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 15,064 ponds in Punjab, out of 16,012 water bodies in all.
How many lakes are there in Punjab?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 151 lakes and 31 reservoirs in Punjab, along with 589 tanks.
How many water bodies in Punjab are not in use?
8,332 of the 16,012 water bodies (52%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 1,578 had been encroached upon.
Which district of Punjab has the most ponds?
Gurdaspur, with 1,420 ponds and 1,484 water bodies in all, according to the 1st Census of Water Bodies.
How do ponds help groundwater in Punjab?
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.