https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Reviving Historical Ponds and Water Bodies of Mandla

DC of Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, Ms. Harshika Singh, a 2012-batch officer IAS officer, has taken up the task to preserve ancient structures. She has started her work by reviving a water body that was part of ancient Gondwana region.
Indian Masterminds Stories

We have been reading about the limited source of fresh water; that while 70% of the earth is filled with water, only 2% can be used for drinking and other human needs. So, it is important to conserve water for a safe future because the water treasure is not infinite. Now what with unpredictable climate changes, droughts and irresponsible use of water, the mantra of ‘water conservation’ has assumed a more urgent tone.

In fact, all around us there are many ancient water bodies system which have disappeared due to various reasons. If revived, those water bodies could be a great source for fresh water and would also solve the water scarcity issue. 

The same is true for the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. Here, many ancient water sources have either disappeared or are lying in a bad shape. 

The district collector of Mandla Ms. Harshika Singh has taken it upon herself to revive 11 such water bodies. Within next two-three weeks, all of them will be open for use. 

During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms Singh, a 2012-batch officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, spoke about how her team rejuvenated a water body that was part of ancient Gondwana region and which was constructed around 17th century. 

REVIVAL TASK UNDER MANREGA

Some parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh formed the ancient Gondwana region, which was home to Gondi people, one of the largest tribal groups of Indua. Many kingdoms ruled this area. Various architecture structures in Mandla are said to be part of that period. 

Under the leadership of Ms. Singh, a team is working on identifying all those historical sites and preserving these. “Mandal,’’ she said, “has lots of such historical structures. Our team has taken up a project to identify them, starting with marking their GPS location. While we were working on the workflow of the preservation task, we identified some 11 water bodies. Since Mandla is a very old district and we have its recorded history from 1860, some British era documents also mentioned them. With little research it was found that most of them are form early Gond period”. 

She also mentioned that off late, these water bodies disappeared because of encroachment or growth of wild plants around it. The major task before starting the revival was to remove the encroachment because some water bodies lie in the population area as well. 

The rejuvenation task of all these bodies is in last stage. However, one water source which is from 17th century has been revived fully. 

Talking about it, she says, “The Baoli is in forested area of Simaria. According to some historical documents, Hridayshah, the king of Garha Kingdom who ruled the Gondwana, region built the structure and the baoli. He and various other kings used to stay there when they came to forest for hunting. The revival project of this place has been taken under MANREGA.”

Ms Singh also mentioned that the structure comes under Madhya Pradesh Archeological Department and therefore it became easy to take permission for the revival. After the revival, it will be great source of water for the people living in the nearby areas.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Powergrid (resized)
Power Grid Corporation & Nepal Electricity Authority Join Forces to Boost Cross-Border Power Connectivity
Calcutta High Court
Justice Subhendu Samanta Appointed Permanent Judge of Calcutta High Court
Shipping-Corporation-of-India-SCI
Dr. K. Jayaprasad Appointed as Non-Official Director on SCI Land & Assets Limited - Know More About Him
indian-navy-1
Indian Navy Welcomes 10th Ammunition Barge, LSAM 24, Enhancing Operational Capabilities
Bihar Government-resized-IM
17 IPS Officers Transferred Bihar, Pankaj Darad Appointed ADG, ATS; Rakesh Rathi IG, Special Branch
Madhya Pradesh State Administrative Service
MP Govt Approves 55% Dearness Allowance for IAS, IPS, IFS Officers & Deputation Employees
MEIL
MEIL Clinches Rs. 13,000 Cr NPCIL Order for Two Nuclear Reactors
Western Coalfields Limited
WCL Strengthens Healthcare Services in Vidarbha with Medical Equipment Donation to Dr Hedgewar Blood Centre
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Raj Krishna Jha UPSC
Managing Study with a Full-Time Job, 4 Failures, & a Dream: UPSC Topper Raj Krishna Jha's Journey | Exclusive
From repeated failures to AIR 8, Raj Krishna Jha’s UPSC success proves that perseverance and strategic...
Utkarsh Yadav UPSC Rajasthan
Brother of Dausa DM Cracks UPSC with AIR 32: Utkarsh Yadav’s Inspiring Journey from Hamindpur to IAS
Utkarsh Yadav, an IIT Roorkee graduate from rural Rajasthan, secured AIR 32 in UPSC 2024 after three...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 21.26
“You May Fail Twice, But If You Stand Tall the Third Time, You Fly” – Trilok Singh, CSE ’24 AIR 20 | Exclusive
Rejected by the military, Trilok Singh didn’t quit, he reloaded. In CSE 2024, the Rajasthan native stormed...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Powergrid (resized)
Power Grid Corporation & Nepal Electricity Authority Join Forces to Boost Cross-Border Power Connectivity
Calcutta High Court
Justice Subhendu Samanta Appointed Permanent Judge of Calcutta High Court
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT