Professor Shree Prakash Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), has announced that the university will collaborate with the Haryana Pond Authority to conserve and develop the state’s water reservoirs and ponds.

In a meeting chaired by Singh, attended by Principal Adviser Prabhakar Kumar Verma and heads of civil engineering, architecture, and environment departments, a framework for the initiative was prepared. The first phase will see students and faculty survey villages where reservoir projects have been completed or are ongoing, collecting feedback to assess progress. Reports will be submitted to the authority and state government. A team of teachers and experts will also be formed to provide third-party quality assurance for renovation projects.

Plans include establishing a “Reservoir Renovation Centre of Excellence” on campus for research and advisory support. It was informed that, of 1,871 ponds registered on the portal, 11,022 are polluted, with 6,542 ponds in the 2025-26 action plan, including 311 in Sonepat. Work on 29 ponds is complete, five are underway, and planning for others continues. The VC directed systematic execution of tasks and preparation of a detailed student-led survey plan.