Many young students are focused on exams and school routines across India. But Dev Karan, a 17-year-old Class 12 student, has chosen a different path. Instead of spending his weekends on leisure activities, he has spent years working to protect India’s dying ponds. His dedication has now earned him global recognition at the United Nations-backed Young Activists Summit (YAS) 2025.
This achievement has placed Dev Karan among five global youth leaders honoured for their contribution to solving real-world problems through innovation and community involvement.
Who Is Dev Karan?
The story of Dev Karan began with a simple school trip two years ago. He saw a local pond in extremely poor condition during the visit. It was filled with waste, polluted water and almost no signs of life. This experience made him realise that climate change is not only a global issue but something visible in every corner of India.
Dev decided to work towards protecting water bodies, especially ponds that have been ignored for years from that day. His focus on ponds is significant because these small water bodies have supported India’s villages and ecosystems for centuries.
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Why Dev Karan Chose India’s Vanishing Ponds?
According to Dev Karan, ponds are important for several reasons. They help store water during dry seasons, support groundwater, reduce the impact of floods, protect soil, and sustain biodiversity. These ponds act as natural climate protectors.
However, ponds across India are slowly disappearing due to pollution, construction, and lack of regular care. In cities such as Delhi, Dev Karan observed that almost half the ponds listed in government records no longer existed. Even when clean-up drives happen, ponds often return to their polluted state because there is no long-term maintenance.
This situation encouraged Dev to create a simple but effective plan that could revive ponds and keep them healthy through community support and technology.
How Dev Karan Built a Sustainable Model for Water Restoration?
Dev Karan co-founded Pondora, a student-led initiative focused on long-term pond restoration to solve the pond crisis. Pondora uses digital tools, student involvement, and local committees to make pond care easy and organised.
1. Low-Cost Digital Tools to Monitor Ponds
Dev Karan and his team created Bluetooth-based sensors that can track water quality, temperature, pH levels and chemical changes. These tools are simple and can be used without technical knowledge, allowing villagers to take charge of their own ponds.
2. Training Students as “Pond Ambassadors”
Pondora trains school students to collect and upload water data regularly. This encourages young people to become more aware of their local environment and take responsibility for it.
3. Village-Level Pond Committees
These committees ensure that once a pond is cleaned, it remains in good condition. This long-term support is one of the reasons Pondora has been praised as a successful model.
4. Focus on Climate Education
For Dev Karan, climate literacy is the foundation of change. When people understand why a pond matters, they are more willing to take care of it. This educational approach strengthens the impact of every clean-up project.
The United Nations recognised Pondora as a model that can be used in many parts of the world to restore water bodies one step at a time.
Work Ethic and Values That Guide Dev Karan
What makes Dev Karan stand out is his belief that meaningful change happens on the ground. He often says that real impact requires action, not just ideas. Despite being the Head Boy at DPS Noida and performing well academically, he spends significant time working on environmental and technology-based projects.
His past work includes:
- Researching ultrasonic crop-disease solutions
- Working on environmental technology at IIT-Delhi and IIT-Roorkee
- Studying microbiome science
- Participating in global STEM programmes
- Leading research groups for students
Through these experiences, Dev has learned that innovation should always begin with listening to the needs of people and communities.
FAQs
Q.1. Who is Dev Karan?
Ans. Dev Karan is a 17-year-old Indian student recognised globally for restoring neglected ponds.
Q.2. Why was Dev Karan honoured by the UN-backed summit?
Ans. He received the award for his Pondora model that supports long-term pond restoration.
Q.3. What is Pondora?
Ans. Pondora is a student-led initiative that uses digital tools and community involvement to protect ponds.
Q.4. Why does Dev Karan focus on ponds?
Ans. He believes ponds are essential for groundwater, climate balance and local ecosystems.
Q.5. What is Dev Karan planning next?
Ans. He is developing a nationwide pond database based on citizen participation.
