IAS Officer Restores Historic Pond With 125 Volunteers

When Anshul Gupta arrived as commissioner of Ujjain Municipal Corporation in late 2021, he found a historic pond choking on neglect.

Yam Talaiya, a 4.2-acre water body on the outskirts of the temple city, had been vital to local farmers and the ancient Chitragupta Mandir for generations. But years of abandonment had filled it with silt and invasive weeds, slashing its water capacity and leaving it bone dry.

Gupta had restored 30 water bodies in his previous posting, so he knew what needed to happen. He contacted the Environmentalist Foundation of India in December 2021, and together they developed a restoration plan that would cost Rs 60 lakh (about $72,000).

Here's the remarkable part: they didn't use government money. Instead, they raised Rs 10 lakh through corporate social responsibility funds and the rest through private donations.

Through social media, they invited local nonprofits, organizations, and colleges to join the effort. About 125 volunteers showed up ready to work.

The team started by clearing 0.75 acres of invasive weeds and garbage using excavators. Then they removed an average of four feet of silt from the pond bed, dramatically increasing its water storage capacity and improving groundwater percolation.

The excavated silt didn't go to waste. Workers shifted it to the pond's edges to strengthen embankments, raising them to an average of 12 feet to prevent flooding during heavy rains.

New embankments stretching 540 meters now define the pond's boundaries and prevent future encroachments. The team also built sedimentary wells across one acre to capture silt from runoff, ensuring only clean water enters the main pond.

To support local wildlife, they constructed nesting islands for swans, ducks, fish, turtles, and peacocks. Two recharge wells with narrow channels now help replenish groundwater supplies.

The Ripple Effect

The restoration has breathing new life into the surrounding community. Farmers once again have reliable access to water for their fields, and the temple that depends on the pond can continue its centuries-old traditions.

The project shows what's possible when government expertise, nonprofit knowledge, and community muscle come together. Gupta's experience restoring water bodies combined with EFI's scientific approach created a blueprint that other cities could follow.

The volunteers didn't just dig and plant. They painted walls around the pond, screened documentaries to educate locals about water conservation, and helped restore pride in a landmark that had been written off as lost.

Ancient idols discovered during past excavations hint at Yam Talaiya's deep historical significance. Now this piece of living history has a future again, holding more water and supporting more life than it has in decades.