Mumbai: Tata Capital, the financial services arm of the Tata Group, has launched Jal Aadhar, a watershed development project in rural Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The initiative aims to provide water for irrigation, as well as clean and potable water by increasing groundwater resources, increasing efficiency in water use, and improving farmer income.
The initiative has helped 22 villages in these States in restoring the water levels by rejuvenating and reviving their waterbodies and recharging zones leading to a 1-to-2-metre increase in groundwater levels. The water crisis in these areas is now in control as villagers have adopted a sustainable farming system leading to prolonged access to water. Through this initiative, Jal Aadhar plans to restore an additional 6000 hectares of land in the next three years.
Jal Aadhar Project Impact since 2016-17 across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
- 6000 ha area treated
- 22 villages covered and 15,000+ farmers impacted
- 4100 lakh litres of water harvesting capacity created
- 19,000/crop average increase in farmer income due to crop diversification
Speaking about Tata Capital’s CSR initiatives, Sridhar Sarathy – SVP, CSR, Tata Capital said, “We at Tata Capital are proud of the results the Jal Aadhar programme has given over the years. It is in line with our Sustainable Development Goals and focuses on integrated water resource management and water-use efficiency. Our commitment to impact the local communities will continue with a larger goal of water conservation as we have seen the difference it created on the entire ecosystem.”
