Meet India’s ‘Pond Man’ Who Is Restoring Water Bodies For A Sustainable Future
Using a community-driven approach and sustainable methods, Ramveer Tanwar has been restoring lakes, ponds and wetlands across India
In a nation as diverse as India, where water bodies hold cultural, ecological, and economic significance, our lakes and ponds have faced numerous challenges, including pollution, encroachment, and neglect. These water bodies have historically played a vital role in providing drinking water, supporting agriculture, and promoting biodiversity. However, urbanisation, industrialisation, and unchecked pollution have taken a toll on them, leading to their deterioration and gradual disappearance. In sight of a severe water crisis, the worst India has ever seen, the preservation and rejuvenation of lakes and ponds is paramount.
Ramveer and his NGO have so far cleaned 80 water bodies across India
Among the many individuals working towards water conservation, Ramveer Tanwar’s name is one of the most prominent, so much so that he is often called ‘India’s Pond Man.’ For the last few years, he has been working to restore and revitalise these crucial water reservoirs across the country.
Say Earth
Born and raised in an agricultural family in Greater Noida’s Dadha village, Tanwar witnessed the dwindling number of ponds and lakes around which he had spent most of his childhood. “I would take our cattle out to graze and spend time around these water bodies. Over time, I started noticing the vanishing ponds and, consequently, the biodiversity they supported,” shares Tanwar.
A lake being cleaned by Say Earth’s team and volunteers
As the only member of his family who went to college to pursue Mechanical Engineering, Tanwar felt a sense of responsibility. But during college, he started taking tuition to support himself and work towards raising awareness on water conservation. “I began by instructing young people in my area, inspiring them to take action against their dwindling water supplies. The struggle was most people did not believe they could ever run out of water,” Tanwar shares. Despite the pushback, he persevered, continuing to run these weekend meetings called ‘Jal Chaupals’. In 2015, Ramveer and his team of volunteers, students, and their parents removed all the garbage from the first pond.
After completing college, Ramveer worked for an MNC for two years, till 2018, before realising he wanted to take up the cause of water conservation full time. He quit his job, much to the dismay of his parents. “I told them I’d get a job again if I did not succeed in my mission, but I haven’t looked back since,” Tanwar laughs. From 2018 to 2020, he worked for other NGOs before starting his NGO, Say Earth.
Say Earth undertakes cleaning of lakes in different states across India
Reviving India’s Dying Ponds
Ramveer’s NGO works towards pond restoration techniques and engages with local communities to raise awareness about the importance of these water bodies. On how they find these ponds, Tanwar explains, “We run social media campaigns where people share pictures of water bodies in their areas. Sometimes, district administrations of different states and Gram Pradhans of different villages contact us.” The NGO operates with funds donated by individuals and CSR funds released by different companies.
The process differs for each pond, and the timelines hover around six months on average. “We clear out the water body and dig a pit with wooden mesh to collect garbage. The team extracts 500-1000 kg of plastic per hectare of land from each lake. While the plastic is sent for recycling, they then install a double filtration system with a filter made of wooden planks and a patch of different grasses to prevent bigger and smaller pieces of garbage from making their way into the water in the future. Volunteers clean these pits once a week,” he explains. To enhance the pond’s ecological value, they promote planting native aquatic plants along the pond’s periphery. These plants help filter the water, provide habitat for wildlife, and stabilise the ponds’ banks. Say Earth has so far restored 80 water bodies across different states in India, and Tanwar believes restoring water bodies and wetlands will eventually help cities deal with the concern of dwindling ground water levels. “These restored bodies will help recharge the water table in the region, and help us, in some way, deal with the water scarcity in the future,” he says.
Community Engagement
The first and foremost step in Ramveer’s approach is to engage the local community. He believes involving the people living around the ponds is crucial for long-term success. “This is why much of the pond rejuvenation is done by hiring a team from the same community, which not only gives them a source of income but encourages community participation,” he adds.
Ramveer Tanwar conducts awareness for locals in different villages
Tanwar’s relentless dedication and innovative approach have resulted in the restoration of numerous ponds across India. His work has improved water quality and local ecosystems and empowered communities to take ownership of these invaluable water bodies. But India needs more than one Pond Man. “Every time we restore a pond, we train one local person in the whole process and make them into ‘Pond Man’, who we can help turn into a manager for our next rejuvenation project. We hope this will help more people take up this cause,” Tanwar shares.
