Revival of Dead Water Bodies and Rural Resurgence through WHEELS Tech-Enabled Collaborative Governance in Rurban U.P. with YEIDA

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) and Gautam Budh Nagar district administration have identified 116 stagnant ponds along the 165km stretch of the Yamuna Expressway requiring immediate attention. The ponds have been dying a slow death because of groundwater depletion at a fast pace as a result of infrastructural works and illegal encroachments in the region. Some of these ponds have turned into dumping yards leading to what is commonly referred to as  “dead ponds” raising serious environmental and health concerns for the people.

The depletion of water bodies undoubtedly has significant adverse effects impacting various aspects of life of the communities that rely on them and the ecosystem as a whole. As water scarcity grows, communities vie for limited resources, sparking conflicts over access. Scarce clean water heightens health risks, leading to waterborne diseases. Sectors reliant on water like agriculture and industry suffer, driving unemployment and poverty. Environmental harm escalates, disrupting ecology and biodiversity. Social displacement rises as communities migrate for water and work, straining resources and urban areas. Overall, water depletion erodes cultural heritage and resilience, underscoring the need for coordinated action to ensure fair access and sustainable management practices.

To address that, YEIDA has joined forces with WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF) through the WHEELS Water Council to rejuvenate ponds and to ensure sustainable and equitable uses of the augmented groundwater resources in the areas of Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr districts. With the remarkable success of WGF’s first pilot project in H.P. where 55 springs across 32 villages of 4 districts were revamped in a short period of less than a year with compelling outcomes, WGF embarks on a second project to replicate the execution model and learnings. An MOU was signed between WGF, YEIDA and other partners on January 3, 2023 for the rejuvenation of 46 ponds in 27 villages in U.P. and water management-led holistic community development in the designated areas.

The project’s focal point is rural resurgence through a unique Collaborative Governance Model and Integrated Water Management based on scientific data and an evidence-based decision support system. A consortium of best-in-class partners aka ‘Champions’ has been formulated. It consisted of academic and scientific institutions, social enterprises and grassroots organizations, each with a demonstrated track record to address the identified gaps. WHEELS Water Council Chair brought together key technologies and innovations from ATE Chandra Foundation, Development Alternatives and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham designated as implementation and development partners. It is a distinct paradigm for the convergence of the best elements from diverse partners aiming at a sustainable water management-led holistic community development initiative.

Further, WHEELS innovative investment into a custom-built execution convergence technology portal ensures seamless collaborative governance that brings government and execution partner agencies under one platform. This enables an effective mechanism to access combined resources with real-time data and analytics.

In the first phase of the project, 46 ponds in 27 villages have been surveyed while work on six ponds initiated by YEIDA is being supervised regularly in the villages of Mohammadpur Jadon, Dubli, Salarpur, Rustampur, Acchepur and Tirthli. The Integrated Water Management Approach also entails community engagement in order to ensure the sustainability of the environment and its people. Community mobilization initiatives were undertaken that include making of 81 wall art paintings at various sites and door to door survey conducted with more than 400 households of the project villages. Further, at the YEIDA prioritized 8 villages, community meetings were conducted for formation of Talab Samitis consisting of 10 members per village, street plays were planned to reach 1285 villagers and sensitization sessions were organized at schools attended by 572 students. Talab Samiti trainings are being conducted and pond handover booklets have been distributed to them. The project is also exploring the long-term challenges of the community as identified during the community engagement activities in areas of livelihood, waste management and education.

With outstanding results of WGF’s first pilot project in H.P. followed by its replication to rurban U.P. this unique collaborative governance model demonstrates a brilliant specimen of public-private partnership. It has a catalyzing impact that provides holistic and integrated support for large social programs of the government and leverages best practices across diverse partners. The model promises compelling levels of sustainability, scalability and replicability and has scope to guide the design, implementation and evaluation of varied environmentally and socially responsible projects and initiatives. It has huge potential for replication and expansion in other states of India.

The once filthy pond in Mahmoodpur Jadon underwent a miraculous transformation, teeming with life once again. Sparkling water, nesting birds and colorful flowers symbolized the village’s unity and determination to protect their environment, drawing visitors from afar and revitalizing community spirit. Today, the pond stands as a symbol of hope and perseverance—a testament to what can be achieved when systems and communities come together to heal the land and safeguard the resources that sustain us all.

Pond Rejuvenation at Mohammadpur Jadaon Village

Before                                                                                   After