Ponds are a part of India's religious and cultural life. The cultural traditions in India are esoteric and deeply rooted in the Hindu religion. That is why we find ponds in every ancient temple and every village has a pond. People flock around these ponds as it is a very pleasant way of spending an evening.
Ponds are the epicentre of activity in any village. That is why you see village elders seated on platforms around the banyan or peepul tree on the banks of the ponds.
When the water in the pond dries up during the summer months the farmers use the mud to rejuvenate their croplands and the women use the mud on the walls and roof of their houses.
Ponds not only help recharge groundwater but also support many species of plants and animals. During winter, migratory birds come to the pond and enrich the life. Thus ponds are called a complete eco-system and a centre of biodiversity.
Sadly ponds are slowly disappearing at an alarming rate. During the last ten years nearly 2,90,000
tanks and ponds have been lost. This represents 30 per cent of all the water bodies.
The remaining ponds are under threat as people continue to throw garbage, plastic and release waste water into them.
In order to create awareness on the preservation of ponds, the Environment Society of India brought out a chart titled “Pond watching” for the school eco clubs under the National Green Corps (NGC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
Many schools in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh constructed wetlands on their campuses.
For more information contact : The Environment Society of India; Phone : 91172 2746832; email : esi_chd@yahoo.com; website : www.esind.org
