Overview

Nearly 70 percent of India’s population still lives in agrarian villages. For ages, our villages had sustainable eco-systems, and residents of the villages took full ownership of their water resources and the environment. In the recent times, however, there has been a dramatic shift in the scenario – over-exploitation of groundwater has left water tables across the country perilously low, unscientific farming methods with overuse of chemical fertilizers, and pesticides has left the land infertile and farmers desolate.

We understand this, and hence our primary priorities in this sector are to take up comprehensive watershed rejuvenation programs and promote sustainable farming methods. Through the Jal Jagruti Abhiyan alone, we reached out to remote corners of Maharashtra. We are also running river rejuvenation projects in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and have conducted sustainable farming workshops for over 2 million lakh farmers across India.

“Water is now available all over. The women of our village have been saved many tedious hours of fetching water.” - Rajani Panditrao Achavale, a housewife from an erstwhile drought-prone village in Latur District, Maharashtra. She fondly recounts how groundwater levels rose in her village due to our watershed rejuvenation program.

There is a multitude of challenges in projects on this scale, but success means not just improving the environment but reforming rural economies too. A silent revolution awaits India if we can restore its sustainable eco-systems.

Challenges

• WHO estimates that 97 million Indians lack access to safe water today. The causes of India’s emerging water crisis can be found in its growing population and lack of appropriate investment in urban water treatment facilities.
• Indiscriminate extraction of underground water by drilling bore wells to meet growing demands is depleting our water table reserves.

Estimates suggest that environmental degradation costs India $80 billion per year, roughly 6 percent of its GDP.

• Inadequate provisions for treatment of wastewater and pollution of our rivers.
• Mismanagement and overuse of India's forests have resulted in deforestation, contamination, and soil erosion throughout the country.
• Increasing air pollution due to unchecked emissions by industries and automobiles. According to India’s Central Pollution Control Board, in 2010, particulate matter in the air of 180 Indian cities was six times higher than WHO standards.

Strategy

Our strategy revolves around conserving natural resources while also securing rural livelihoods for farmers. We have introduced a model of community-driven integrated natural resource management with a five-pronged approach.

Impact

Our tree plantation drives, watershed development programs and training for farmers in natural farming methods have all been at a huge scale, and the efforts continue.

• Around 10.6 million trees planted from July 2008 to July 2009 as part of Mission Green earth campaign
• Over 2.2 million farmers trained in natural farming in 22 states
• Multiple water bodies rejuvenated under Jal Jagruti Abhiyan in Maharashtra
• River Rejuvenation projects ongoing for Vedavathi and Kumudavathi river basins in Karnataka

Ensuring that we preserve our planet for our future generations is a daunting task. Let's work together.