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Liquid Gold

Water is the stuff of life, and yet hundreds of millions of people across India face chronic shortages. CLP is working with partners to find innovative, long-term solutions and provide water security for the communities it serves.

Wednesday, 24 March 2021
4 min read

 

 

India is facing the worst water crisis in its history. Demand for water across the nation is expected to be twice the amount of supply by 2030, threatening water security for millions of people, according to a 2018 report from the Government’s National Institution for Transforming India.

 

Because of the gravity of the situation and as a responsible corporate citizen, CLP India has taken steps to enhance water security for the communities it serves to support their well-being and to encourage long-term sustainability. 

Ending the Thirst

CLP India has been working with the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) since 2016 to implement a sustained water management programme in drought-prone villages near the Khandke Wind Farm in Maharashtra.

 

Initiatives in the first two phases of the programme included repairing and constructing water harvesting structures, capacity building, and agriculture development. The third phase, which began in 2019, focuses on tackling drought conditions with greater efficiency.

 

The programme organisers set out to make a long-lasting impact by taking a more holistic approach and ensuring the initiatives went beyond water supply. Steps have been taken, for instance, to improve crop patterns and soil health, to provide employment and livelihood support, and to empower women. 

Water storage tank
Villagers get clean drinking water from renovated water tanks.
Watch the video to learn about how CLP India and WOTR play a role in enhancing water security for the Indian communities.

 

Three strategies towards a water-secure future:

1. Water security

The building and repairing of 34 water harvesting structures under the water security programme have led to an additional 49.5 million litres of water storage capacity in the Khandke area. A total of 32 sunken ponds in the villages of Balewadi, Ranjani, and Khandke were excavated to ensure water storage and availability through dry spells. As a result, 221 hectares of rainfed land was brought under protective irrigation, and an additional 20 hectares of wasteland was converted to grassland.

Before the programme, Mehekari village was a drought-prone region without any major irrigation projects. Village head Santosh Palave believes the projects will prevent droughts in future. “Before, a seven to eight kilometre-long stretch of river and the dams were filled with silt, and water was flowing away as run-off,” he explains. “Deepening the rivers and repairing the dams has brought an additional 1,000 acres into the irrigated areas of the village.”

Excavating sunken ponds is an effective measure to counter drought.
2. Sustainability practices

More than 3,200 farmers have received training in modern agricultural technologies, sustainable farming methods, and water budgeting through the Farmer Field School and other training schemes under the water security programme. The training schemes resulted in a marked rise in soil health on their farms when the lessons were put into practice, analysis has found.

 

After being trained, farmers are able to grow a greater variety of crops and earn more income. “Thanks to the training and greater water availability, we can now grow groundnuts, wheat, chickpeas, and onion crops, compared with just sorghum and pearl millet in the past,” says Vijay Lipane, a farmer from Ranjani village.  

 

 

Farmer Vijay Lipane says he can grow more crops thanks to the training and the increase in water availability.
3. Empowerment of women

The burden on women has been alleviated through the installation of water storage tanks and filters in five villages, and women in those villages have been empowered by taking part in social development activities. Around 600 women have participated in 10 health camps where they learnt about issues affecting women’s health, such as anemia. Higher education scholarships were awarded to 107 of the students, and 37 self-help groups with a total of 454 members were set up to allow them to speak out and support each other on key issues.

Mangal Berad from Sonewadi village is a member of one of the self-help groups. “Our group has 20 members, and each of us contributes Rs 200 a month to a common fund which is linked with bank accounts,” she says. “The fund provides for members in need of support, so that we can really look out for each other.”

Self-help groups provide a platform for women to discuss key issues and take part in social development activities such as health camps.

The water security programme is a dynamic example of how CLP India works to unite and provide solutions for the communities in which it operates. The company is committed to continue to launch initiatives that promote social and economic development, improve sustainability, and raise standards of living in those communities.

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