Ponds of Promise: Unlocking Mandla’s Farm Ponds for Food and Livelihood Security

Ponds as a Lifeline in Mandla

Mandla, in central India, is a land of contrasts, riverside banks, rolling hills, and drought-prone uplands shape its unique landscape. This undulating terrain provides an ecological setting where both seasonal and perennial farm ponds are part of the village fabric. For many communities here, ponds are more than just water bodies; they represent food security, nutrition, and opportunity. Yet Mandla is also one of the more socio-economically vulnerable districts. Resource-poor tribal communities dominate the population, and poverty and malnutrition remain widespread. In such a context, farm ponds have a vital role to play in reducing vulnerability. They can serve as reliable sources of food and income if managed properly. Unfortunately, their potential is still far from being realized.

Why Carp Culture Matters

Carp, the mainstay of India's aquaculture sector, is widely consumed and in constant demand. In Mandla, most of this demand is met through imports from neighboring states, despite the abundance of ponds scattered across the district. The question naturally arises: why aren't Mandla's ponds producing enough fish locally? The answer lies in a mix of ecological and socio-economic challenges. Carp culture has been constrained by poor pond management, inadequate access to quality inputs, and limited technical knowledge. Practices such as pond manuring, liming, or maintaining the correct stocking density are either neglected or inconsistently applied. As a result, productivity remains low. For many farmers, this has become a source of disillusionment, why invest time and resources if the returns are uncertain? Still, the promise is undeniable. When even sub-optimally managed, ponds provide households with supplemental income and protein. If scaled up with the right interventions, they could transform livelihoods across the district. Recognizing this, the Mandla administration has prioritized composite carp culture as a strategic tool to combat both poverty and malnutrition.

Learning from Science and Experience

The challenges of Mandla are not unique. Across India, similar efforts have demonstrated that scientific practices and semi-intensive methods can make pond-based aquaculture viable. The World Bank-supported WBADMIP project in West Bengal showed that, even under harsh socioeconomic and climatic conditions, village ponds can boost productivity and incomes when managed correctly. Building on such experiences, the Multifunctional Landscape Science program has stepped in to work with communities in Mandla. In collaboration with PRADAN and WorldFish, the focus has been on strengthening local capacity, providing technical support, and encouraging semi-intensive cultivation methods. The aim is not simply to increase fish yields, but to place ponds at the heart of a multifunctional landscape strategy-integrating ecological, social, and economic objectives.

The Ecology of Productivity

One of the biggest bottlenecks in Mandla's ponds has been low primary productivity. Healthy ponds require a delicate balance of nutrients and biological activity. Without adequate manuring, liming, or fertilization, ponds fail to support the plankton and algae that form the base of the aquatic food chain. Poor resource management, coupled with limited access to scientific guidance, has left many ponds ecologically stagnant. Interventions now focus on restoring this ecological base. Simple measures like optimizing input use viz. fertilizers, fish seed, and feed based on local availability can improve productivity substantially. Once ponds achieve optimal ecological health, they become far more reliable for fish farming.

Ponds Beyond Fish: Toward Multifunctionality

For rural households, ponds are not just fish tanks. They can be hubs of multifunctionality. In Mandla, farmers are beginning to explore integrated systems where carp farming is integrated with horticulture such as cultivating chestnuts and lotuses as well as livestock. Such diversification spreads risks, improves resource efficiency, and generates multiple income streams. This approach aligns closely with the principles of multifunctional landscapes: water bodies that simultaneously support food production, biodiversity, and community resilience. By building ecological performance and social acceptance together, the program is creating the foundation for scaling up pond-based farming in a sustainable way.

Linking Local Action to Policy

For long-term impact, local initiatives need to be linked with broader policy frameworks. In practice, integrating carp farming initiatives with government programs can facilitate the standardization of methods, ensuring consistency and scalability across Mandla. For example, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MPSRLM) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) already support pond creation and related water resources for livelihood enhancement. With evidence from Mandla, these schemes could be better tailored to promote composite carp farming. Similarly, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) could benefit from district-specific insights on what works in pond-based aquaculture. By aligning grassroots practice with national missions, Mandla's ponds can contribute to both local food security and India's broader fisheries development goals.

The Road Ahead

Scaling up carp farming in Mandla will require patience and persistence. Communities need consistent support in adopting scientific practices. Inputs like quality seed and feed must be accessible and affordable. Stronger links between farmers, markets, and institutions will help ensure that productivity gains translate into better incomes. But the direction is clear. With each pond that becomes productive, confidence grows. As more households witness the benefits, adoption spreads. And as adoption spreads, Mandla edges closer to transforming its ponds from underutilized assets into engines of resilience.

Ponds in Mandla hold immense potential but realizing it requires more than just fish farming. It demands a vision of ponds as multifunctional assets supporting food security, nutritional security, livelihoods, and ecological sustainability. By blending traditional practices with modern science, and by connecting local initiatives with national programs, Mandla can demonstrate how landscapes can be managed for the well-being of both people and nature. In the end, the story of Mandla's ponds is not just about carp. It is about communities reclaiming their ecological resources, building resilience in the face of poverty and climate risks, and creating a future where every pond is a promise fulfilled.

Authors: Ayan Samaddar, Gopal Kumar