Second Water Bodies Census: Maharashtra Records 4.74 Lakh, UP 2.86 Lakh; 5 States See Decline

Five states -- Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Rajasthan -- recorded a decline in the number of water bodies compared to the first census, with Mizoram registering the sharpest fall of 63 per cent, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 50 per cent.

The findings are part of Volume II, Part II of the Second Census of Water Bodies, covering 19 states and the Union Territories of Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The report was released by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil during the valedictory ceremony of the ninth India International Water Week at Bharat Mandapam here on September 25.

The second volume covers Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Keralam, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, besides Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The first Census of Water Bodies was conducted in 2017-18, while the second census was launched on April 3, 2025, with 2023-24 as its reference year.

The census collects information on the type, ownership, condition, use, storage capacity, filling status and encroachments of water bodies, covering both rural and urban areas.

According to a message from Patil included in the report, the main purpose of the census is to build a comprehensive database on water bodies for effective planning and policymaking for their preservation, conservation and renovation.

Patil said reliable statistics on the condition of water bodies, their status of use, storage capacity, filling of storage and encroachments are important to assess water-stressed areas and plan water management in such regions.

Maharashtra recorded 4,74,548 water bodies in the second census, compared with 97,062 in the first census, an increase of 388.91 per cent. Nearly 99.72 per cent of the water bodies are located in rural areas, while ponds account for 61.68 per cent of the total.

Of the water bodies in use in Maharashtra, 98.06 per cent are primarily utilised for irrigation.

Uttar Pradesh recorded 2,86,292 water bodies, up 16.81 per cent from 2,45,087 in the first census. Ponds constitute 96 per cent of the water bodies in the state, while 74.49 per cent of the total are currently in use. Panchayats are the predominant owners, accounting for 2,63,026 water bodies.

Karnataka's water bodies increased to 38,960 from 27,013, a rise of 44.2 per cent. About 96 per cent are located in rural areas, while 28,075, or 72.06 per cent, are reported to be in use.

Among water bodies in use in Karnataka, tanks account for 61 per cent, followed by lakes at 18 per cent and ponds at 16 per cent.

Punjab recorded 18,716 water bodies, compared with 16,012 in the first census, an increase of 16.9 per cent. About 99 per cent are located in rural areas and ponds account for 93.56 per cent of the total.

A total of 13,995 water bodies, or 74.78 per cent of those enumerated in Punjab, were reported to be in active use, compared to 7,680, or 48 per cent, during the first census.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the number of water bodies rose 20.5 per cent to 11,766 from 9,765 in the first census. About 98 per cent are located in rural areas.

Domestic and drinking water supply is the predominant use of water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, accounting for 62 per cent of all water bodies in use. Irrigation accounts for 9 per cent, groundwater recharge 3 per cent, religious purposes 2 per cent, recreation 1 per cent and other uses 23 per cent.

Rajasthan was among the states that recorded a decline, with the number of water bodies falling from 16,939 in the first census to 14,400 in the second, a decrease of 15 per cent.

About 92 per cent of the water bodies in Rajasthan are located in rural areas and ponds account for 71.63 per cent of the total. Of the 14,400 water bodies, 11,783, or 81.83 per cent, are in use.

Publicly owned water bodies account for 59 per cent in Rajasthan, while privately owned water bodies constitute the remaining 41 per cent.

Irrigation is the predominant use of water bodies in Rajasthan, accounting for 52 per cent of those in use, followed by groundwater recharge at 26 per cent and natural habitat for birds and animals at 8.8 per cent.

Among the 2,617 water bodies not in use in Rajasthan, 65.76 per cent were attributed to other reasons, 26.63 per cent had dried up, 3.32 per cent had been destroyed beyond repair, 1.64 per cent were affected by siltation and the remaining were attributed to construction, salinity and industrial effluents.

The other states that recorded declines were Mizoram, where the number of water bodies fell from 2,185 to 808, a decrease of 63 per cent; Arunachal Pradesh, where it fell from 993 to 499, a decline of 50 per cent; Jharkhand, where it declined from 1,07,598 to 86,708, a decrease of 19 per cent; and Telangana, where it fell from 64,056 to 53,685, a decline of 16.19 per cent.

Chandigarh recorded 201 water bodies, up by 6.9 per cent from 188 in the first census. All its water bodies are in the urban sector and tanks constitute 94 per cent of the total. All 201 water bodies are publicly owned, with 96 per cent reported to be in use.

Patil said the publication will help stakeholders and states/UTs undertake comparable analysis of various parameters of water bodies against the first census.