Water for Life
Reviving rivers, recharging groundwater, restoring livelihoods across India.
"Our survival depends on water. It is the basis of the life force. We need to protect the source of water."
— Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi ShankarIndia's Water Crisis
India receives generous monsoon rainfall every year, yet 54% of the country is water-stressed. The reason is simple: 78% of monsoon rainwater runs off the surface and flows into the ocean. Only 6% is saved and stored. Meanwhile, 239 trillion litres of groundwater are extracted annually, far outpacing the rate at which aquifers can recharge.
The consequences fall hardest on rural farming communities. In Maharashtra alone, only 37% of water remained in state reservoirs in 2022, and the government had to deploy a record number of water tankers to arid districts. Farmers who depend on rain-fed agriculture face failed crops, mounting debt, and forced migration to cities.
63% of Indian districts have recorded a continuous decline in their water table over the past 20 years. Without a change in how we manage rainwater, this crisis will only deepen as the population grows toward 1.7 billion by 2050.
Our 4R Approach to Make India Water Positive
Reduce · Reuse · Recharge · Recycle
The Art of Living's water conservation work began in 2013 under the guidance of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, with a clear mission: develop practical, scalable solutions to revive dying rivers and recharge depleted groundwater.
The strategy is built on four pillars. On the ground, this translates into six methods of intervention: extensive community mobilisation and capacity building, construction of groundwater recharge structures, area and drainage line treatment, afforestation along river basins, soil conservation measures, and promotion of sustainable agriculture.
Reduce
Cut water waste at the source
Reuse
Put water to work more than once
Recharge
Replenish groundwater through engineered structures
Recycle
Return organic resources back into the soil
A team of environmental scientists, geologists, hydrogeologists, and GIS specialists develops the technical plan for each site using geographic information systems and remote sensing. What holds it all together is village-level participation — thousands of volunteers work alongside farmers, local communities, and government agencies to plan, build, and monitor every intervention.
Our Process
Planning & Mobilisation
Setting objectives, assessing the catchment, training local volunteers, enrolling the community.
Technical Surveys
Site surveys, restoration planning, preparation of detailed technical and financial reports.
Implementation
Execution of planned interventions, documentation of every structure built.
Monitoring
Follow-up, geo-tagging every recharge structure by image, plot owner, GPS location, date, and water level tracking.
Our Impact
Figures current as of May 2025
What We Do
River Rejuvenation
75 rivers, streams and tributaries across 8 states are being brought back to life. Through de-silting, watershed treatment, recharge structures, and afforestation, we restore the natural flow of water from surface to aquifer. Over 17,402 crore litres of water conserved, and 9.12 crore trees planted along river basins.
Explore River Rejuvenation →
Project JalTara
A simple, scalable innovation solving India's groundwater crisis from the farm up. One recharge pit per acre — 6 feet deep, 4 feet square, filled with pebbles and stones — lets rainwater bypass hard topsoil and replenish aquifers directly. Over 70,365 structures built across 140 villages. Farmer incomes have doubled, and the Government of Maharashtra adopted this into Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0, scaling it to 24 districts.
Explore JalTara →
Haiderpur Wetland
India's 47th Ramsar Site, home to 333+ bird species, Ganges River Dolphins, and Swamp Deer. Through community-led conservation, ecotourism training, and environmental education, we protect this ecosystem while creating livelihoods for local youth. 25+ young people trained as bird guides, 4,000+ students educated, 40+ village workshops conducted.
Explore Haiderpur Wetland →Proven Impact, Recognised Nationally
An independent assessment by GIST Impact (December 2022) evaluated the JalTara Groundwater Recharge Project in Mantha, Jalna, Maharashtra. The findings confirmed that for every rupee invested in the pilot villages, Rs 19.21 in social and environmental value was generated. For the scaled-up project across 33 forecast villages, the Social Return on Investment rose to Rs 30.81 per rupee.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Water table increase | 14 ft average rise (48% increase in well water levels) |
| Farmer income | 120% average increase |
| Crop yield | 42% average increase |
| Crop spoilage from waterlogging | Eliminated entirely (100% reduction) |
| Rabi season land usage | 58% increase |
| Rabi season employment | 88% increase |
| SROI (pilot villages) | Rs 19.21 per rupee invested |
| SROI (forecast villages) | Rs 30.81 per rupee invested |
Source: "Stakeholder Impact Assessment for The Art of Living JalTara Groundwater Recharge Project," GIST Impact, December 2022.
Awards and Recognition
5th National Water Awards 2023
Winner, Best Civil Society category — Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Jal Shakti (Oct 2024)
Best CSR Impact Award
For the JalTara Project, at the NGI CSR Summit, Hyderabad (June 2024)
Best NGO of the Year 2024
For water conservation, at the Global CSR & ESG Awards (June 2024)
Jal Prahari Samman
For river rejuvenation efforts, supported by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (March 2023)
Karnataka Government Award
For mobilisation and river rejuvenation under MGNREGS (March 2023)
Republic Day 2024 Recognition
Tamil Nadu State Director invited to the 75th Republic Day Parade by PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat team, for restoring the Naganadhi river
"The organization's extensive efforts in rejuvenating over 70 rivers and streams, constructing over 90,500 recharge structures, planting over 7,00,000 trees along river basins have already benefitted millions of people. Water is at the heart of our nation's prosperity, and the dedication of The Art of Living to conserving and replenishing our water resources is truly inspiring."
— CR Paatil, Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India"JalTara is a major relief project for the farmers of Jalna district. The Government will take this initiative forward. It will certainly be part of Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan 2.0."
— Eknath Shinde, then Chief Minister of MaharashtraVoices from the Field
Partner with Us
VVKI works with governments, public sector undertakings, and corporates to create scalable, community-led interventions in water conservation, groundwater recharge, ecosystem restoration, and rural development. Our water programmes align with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Every partnership is backed by third-party impact assessments, geo-tagged monitoring data, and transparent reporting. Whether through CSR funding, employee volunteering, or co-branded programmes, your support directly reaches the communities that need it.
The JalTara Vision
5 crore recharge structures across 1 lakh villages in 5 years, recharging 15 trillion litres of groundwater across India.
Our Partners and Associations
Every Drop Counts. Every Rupee Reaches the Field.
Join the movement to make India water-secure. Your donation builds recharge structures, restores rivers, and transforms the lives of farming families.