Gautam Buddh Nagar has launched a project to rejuvenate 10 rural ponds to address groundwater depletion and restore eco-balance in a rapidly urbanising region. The project is rooted in directives issued by the National Green Tribunal in 2022, mandating proactive groundwater recharge and conservation efforts by local administrations.
With an increasing water stress level across Gautam Buddh Nagar, particularly in peri-urban areas of Noida, the district’s latest pond revival mission aims to serve as a low-cost, high-impact intervention. The initiative reflects a broader commitment to ecological restoration as the foundation of sustainable city-building. According to district officials, the rejuvenation will be undertaken by the Noida Authority, under the supervision of the District Ground Water Management Council. The council, a multi-agency advisory body, recently approved the project following an evaluation of site feasibility and groundwater recharge potential. This body includes representation from the irrigation department, urban development authorities, and environmental planning units, and plays a central role in regulating water extraction and recharge activities across the district.
Ten ponds in the villages of Satharpur, Harola, Shahdara, Salarpur Khadar, Jhatta, Roza, Miyapur and Koudli Bangar (which accounts for three ponds) have been selected. These ponds, currently lying silted and underutilised, were identified based on their catchment capacity, soil type, and proximity to water-stressed areas. The areas range from as small as 0.0632 hectares to as large as 1.391 hectares, with Miyapur housing the largest pond in the list. Each pond will undergo a range of eco-engineering activities including desilting, deepening, bund reinforcement, and drainage linkage to facilitate rainwater harvesting. These measures aim to convert the existing ponds into fully functional aquifer recharge systems capable of sustaining local water needs through natural filtration and percolation processes.
The work has been distributed among five execution units within the Noida Authority—Work Circles 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10—ensuring decentralised and time-bound implementation. While the physical works are set to begin in the monsoon season, officials say that the preparatory surveys and topographic studies have already been completed. This revival strategy does more than restore abandoned water bodies—it symbolises a shift in urban water governance from centralised supply systems to decentralised recharge frameworks. In a city like Noida, where borewells have proliferated without adequate natural recharge, and where land is being concretised at a rapid pace, such initiatives restore ecological continuity. Water experts working in the region point out that groundwater tables in parts of GB Nagar have fallen by nearly 1.5 to 2 metres annually due to unregulated extraction and poor aquifer replenishment.
The drying up of ponds and lakes has only worsened the scenario. Reviving traditional water bodies, they argue, is not just about reviving lost ecosystems—it is about restoring the hydraulic memory of a place. Local community participation is also a central feature of this project. Panchayat members and village committees have been roped in to ensure that once revived, the ponds are maintained, protected from encroachment, and kept pollution-free. Women-led self-help groups are also being mobilised in some villages to take ownership of the water sources, especially as women are the primary water managers in rural households. The initiative is also expected to reduce dependence on groundwater for agricultural purposes, particularly in the khadar regions along the Yamuna basin.
By restoring ponds with high silt-trap and infiltration capacity, the local administration hopes to recharge aquifers more effectively during the monsoon months. It also intends to integrate native flora into the design of the pond peripheries to promote biodiversity and stabilise soil erosion. The long-term vision, officials said, is to incorporate pond rejuvenation into the city’s wider climate adaptation strategy. With rainfall becoming more erratic due to climate change, restoring these ponds can act as a buffer during both dry spells and floods, thereby improving the city’s resilience to extreme weather. Environmental planners caution, however, that success will depend heavily on post-rejuvenation governance. Many earlier projects across the country have faltered due to lack of maintenance, unplanned urban runoff, and the re-emergence of encroachments.
The administration has assured that fencing, geotagging, and real-time monitoring will be part of this phase to avoid the pitfalls of past attempts. Experts emphasise that cities must move beyond engineering-heavy solutions and adopt ecological intelligence when dealing with water management. Reviving ponds is not only an environmental intervention—it also reintroduces a forgotten cultural and social asset into the urban landscape. These ponds were once sites of community gathering, traditional rituals, and seasonal livelihoods. Their restoration could, therefore, reanimate not just water flows but also social cohesion in villages that are fast becoming urban enclaves.
As GB Nagar undertakes this critical mission, it lays the groundwork for a future where cities do not merely consume water—they cultivate it. This model of decentralised, community-aligned, and environmentally responsive urban development is exactly what is needed to steer India’s cities towards net-zero carbon and water resilience. The ponds of today, if revived with care and vision, could become the fountains of tomorrow’s urban sustainability.
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