Survey
Map the pond's full original area, its inlets and its catchment, and record encroachments and sewage outfalls.
Ponds and lakes in Rajasthan
8,046ponds, out of 16,939 water bodies
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 16,939 water bodies in Rajasthan. 3,523 of them were not in use and 47 had been encroached upon. Pick a district below to see its ponds on a map, village by village.
What the census counted in Rajasthan
3,523 of 16,939 water bodies (21%) are not in use: dried up, silted, built over or polluted. Bringing them back is one of the cheapest ways to recharge groundwater.
16,939ponds, tanks, lakes and other water bodies
8,046of them are ponds (47%)
79%still in use (13,416)
47encroached upon
- Ponds8,046
- Tanks5,639
- Lakes66
- Reservoirs132
- Check dams and percolation tanks1,481
- Others1,575
Source: 1st Census of Water Bodies, Ministry of Jal Shakti (counted in 2018-19, published 2023).
Ponds in each district of Rajasthan
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.
- 1Ajmer3,519 water bodies, 20% not in use2,252
- 2Tonk1,934 water bodies, 8% not in use1,485
- 3Bharatpur1,315 water bodies, 48% not in use1,094
- 4Sawai Madhopur940 water bodies, 19% not in use700
- 5Karauli1,470 water bodies, 12% not in use549
- 6Jalor1,065 water bodies, 19% not in use529
- 7Bhilwara1,877 water bodies, 21% not in use309
- 8Chittaurgarh453 water bodies, 18% not in use204
- 9Rajsamand555 water bodies, 16% not in use172
- 10Pali423 water bodies, 35% not in use150
- 11Udaipur775 water bodies, 22% not in use148
- 12Barmer339 water bodies, 14% not in use143
- 13Jaisalmer489 water bodies, 12% not in use116
- 14Jodhpur468 water bodies, 16% not in use92
- 15Jaipur82 water bodies, 63% not in use26
- 16Pratapgarh75 water bodies, 29% not in use19
- 17Kota217 water bodies, 52% not in use18
- 18Jhalawar140 water bodies, 45% not in use9
- 19Baran118 water bodies, 54% not in use8
- 20Nagaur234 water bodies, 2% not in use6
- 21Banswara221 water bodies, 18% not in use5
- 22Sirohi71 water bodies, 24% not in use5
- 23Dungarpur83 water bodies, 14% not in use3
- 24Sikar53 water bodies, 77% not in use3
- 25Dhaulpur12 water bodies, 8% not in use0
Groundwater in Rajasthan
Ponds are one way rain gets back into the ground. See how hard Rajasthan is pumping its groundwater, district by district.
Bringing a pond in Rajasthan 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 Rajasthan?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, counted in 2018-19, published 2023) counted 8,046 ponds in Rajasthan, out of 16,939 water bodies in all.
How many lakes are there in Rajasthan?
The 1st Census of Water Bodies counted 66 lakes and 132 reservoirs in Rajasthan, along with 5,639 tanks.
How many water bodies in Rajasthan are not in use?
3,523 of the 16,939 water bodies (21%) were not in use when counted: dried up, silted, cut off from their catchment, polluted or built over. 47 had been encroached upon.
Which district of Rajasthan has the most ponds?
Ajmer, with 2,252 ponds and 3,519 water bodies in all, according to the 1st Census of Water Bodies.
How do ponds help groundwater in Rajasthan?
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.