Triveni Pond — Let The Pond Breathe Again
A 1.5-acre village pond in Bhokarka, choked by untreated wastewater and algal bloom, revived with a 200 KLD Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System and reborn as a community environmental park.
- 1.5acresPond area restored
- 200KLDDEWATS treatment capacity
- 7DEWATS treatment components
- 12speciesNative flora & fauna recorded
- 8Restoration activities completed
- Apr 2026Project documentation
Background
A village pond gradually losing its ecological function
The pond at Bhokarka village has gradually lost its ecological and hydrological functions due to untreated domestic wastewater inflow, agricultural runoff, cattle activity and continuous dumping of solid waste. Silt accumulation, nutrient enrichment and algal growth further reduced water quality and storage capacity.
The degradation limited the pond's ability to recharge groundwater and serve as a healthy ecological space — reducing what was once a centrally positioned community asset to a stagnant wastewater sink.
GuruJal, together with the Gram Panchayat and the residents of Bhokarka, undertook a restoration programme built around a decentralised treatment system and a community-driven environmental park.
Aerial drone view
Dewatered, desilted pond bed during restoration works
The site
A 1.5-acre natural pond at the heart of Bhokarka
The project is located in Bhokarka village, Haryana, at 28.277031°N latitude and 76.793343°E longitude. The pond is a natural village water body of roughly 1.5 acres, owned by the Gram Panchayat, with a catchment of residential and agricultural land feeding it through rainwater runoff and domestic wastewater.
The pond is centrally positioned within the settlement, making it strategically important for groundwater recharge and community development — with the entire village population counted among its beneficiaries.
Site at a glance
- Village
- Bhokarka
- Type of pond
- Natural village pond
- Ownership
- Gram Panchayat
- District
- Gurugram
- State
- Haryana
- Coordinates
- 28.277031°N, 76.793343°E
The need
Six concerns demanding timely intervention
- Continuous discharge of untreated grey water into the pond.
- Accumulation of silt, sludge and solid waste reducing pond depth.
- Eutrophication and algal bloom due to high nutrient load.
- Declining groundwater levels in the surrounding area.
- Loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation.
- Absence of structured community space around the pond.
Without timely intervention, the pond risked turning into a stagnant wastewater storage area, causing environmental degradation and potential health hazards.
Aims & objectives
Restore ecological integrity, water quality and utility
- Divert and treat wastewater before discharge into the pond.
- Desilt and increase effective water holding capacity.
- Improve water quality using natural treatment systems.
- Develop biodiversity zones using native plant species.
- Create a safe and aesthetically improved public space.
- Ensure long-term sustainability through community engagement and O&M planning.
Technical interventions
A Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System, built for rural conditions
The project proposes a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) with a 200 KLD capacity — seven components in sequence, cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and suited to village-level operation.
- 01
Wastewater Diversion System
Channelization of domestic wastewater to a treatment unit before it reaches the pond.
- 02
Screening Chamber
Removal of floating and coarse solids to prevent clogging further down the treatment train.
- 03
Settler Tank (Primary Treatment)
Reduction of suspended solids and partial BOD removal before biological treatment.
- 04
Root Zone / Constructed Wetland (Secondary Treatment)
Wetland plants and filtration media biologically degrade organic pollutants, reducing BOD, COD, nutrients and odour.
- 05
Discharge of Treated Water into Pond
Polished effluent released into the pond, ensuring compliance with environmental standards.
- 06
Desilting and Dewatering
Removal of accumulated sludge and restoration of the pond's original depth and storage capacity.
- 07
Embankment Strengthening and Fencing
Reinforced embankments and perimeter fencing prevent encroachment and further waste dumping.
Ecological profile
A tapestry of native flora and fauna shaped the design
A pre-restoration survey catalogued native flora and resident fauna at the site — informing the decision to turn the open expanse encircling the pond into a working environmental park, not just an engineered water body.
Native flora recorded
Established trees at the site
- Neem
- Bargad
- Keekar
- Peepal
Structured plantation, proposed
- Moringa
- Amla
- Jamun
- Sehtut
- Tecoma
- Jasmine
- Hibiscus
- Anarmi
- Ficus
8 fauna species recorded
Indicator birds already resident at the pond
- Plain Prinia
- Cattle Egret
- Rock Pigeon
- Common Myna
- Pond Heron
- Babbler
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Crow
Key measures include introducing aquatic macrophytes for water purification, developing green buffer zones, controlling invasive aquatic weeds, and creating habitat for birds, butterflies and small aquatic organisms — enhancing oxygen levels, carbon sequestration and micro-climatic conditions around the pond.
Work undertaken
Eight activities, initiated or completed on site
- Baseline survey and water quality testing.
- Demarcation of pond boundary.
- Partial civil works for wastewater treatment infrastructure.
- Planning of landscaping and peripheral development.
- Completion of treatment plant installation.
- Laying of filter media and wetland plantation.
- Full-scale desilting and cleaning operations.
- Landscaping, fencing, and installation of public amenities.
Visual vignettes
See the restoration in motion
Two aerial clips from the Bhokarka site — the algae-choked pond before intervention, and the restored environmental park that replaced it. Each clip plays automatically when it scrolls into view.
The pond before restoration
An algae-choked pond, starved of oxygen and groundwater function.
An aerial survey of the Bhokarka pond before intervention — a thick algal bloom smothers the surface, the visible signature of untreated wastewater inflow, silt build-up and nutrient overload that had all but shut down the pond's ecological and hydrological function.
The restored environmental park
A looped pathway and reflection circles ring the revived pond.
A paved loop path, log-and-stone seating circles and gateway markers now wrap the pond perimeter — the open expanse the community chose to turn into an environmental park, a place for solace and communion with nature rather than a wastewater sink.
Information, education & communication
Mobilising Bhokarka around its own pond
IEC campaigns and an Employee Volunteer Program ran in parallel — from health camps and school film screenings to panchayat stakeholder meetings and hands-on plantation drives.
- 01
IEC Campaigns
Information, Education and Communication campaigns on water conservation and waste management for the wider village.
- 02
Jal Pe Charcha & Health Camp
A dedicated water-conversation event paired with a community health camp, tying water quality directly to public health.
- 03
Amit Sewa Samooh Meeting
Engagement session with the local Amit Sewa Samooh — bringing an established community service group into the project.
- 04
Film Screening & Art Activity
A film screening and hands-on art activity with primary school kids — building water awareness from an early age.
- 05
Monitoring Committee
A monitoring committee comprising representatives from all stakeholder groups oversees the water resource management project.
- 06
Employee Volunteer Program
Stakeholder meetings with Panchayat representatives, awareness sessions in village schools, and cleanliness and plantation drives.
Upon completion, the rejuvenated pond will be formally inaugurated and handed over to the Gram Panchayat and community for long-term maintenance and management.
BeforeAfter
Potential impact
Treatment capacity, groundwater recharge and biodiversity
The restored pond is projected to deliver measurable hydrological and ecological benefits — treating wastewater at source, replenishing the water table beneath Bhokarka, and enhancing biodiversity across the site.
- Wastewater treated daily200KLD
The DEWATS system diverts and treats domestic wastewater before it can reach the pond, protecting both the water body and the aquifer.
- Pond surface restored1.5acres
Full pond area desilted, dewatered and re-engineered — with strengthened embankments and fencing for long-term resilience.
- Native flora & fauna supported12species
Four native tree species and eight resident bird species recorded at the site, with structured plantation planned to enhance biodiversity further.
Ground water recharge potential: treated, polished effluent feeds the pond rather than polluting it — supporting the unsaturated zone above and the unconfined aquifer below, the same recharge pathway every GuruJal pond restoration is built around.
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