The severity of climate change, changing rainfall patterns, and excessive heat have taken a huge toll on water security. Comparing rural and urban counterparts, urban regions have means to cope with acute water issues while rural regions fall behind. A surge in water demands and diminishing water availability have led many rural areas to suffer from water scarcity. 

Changing climate patterns is the primary reason for water scarcity worsening in rural areas. Uneven rainfall patterns, changing land cover dynamics, heat waves, and increasing extreme weather conditions like drought and flood have disrupted the entire water cycle of rural regions, disrupting the local water sources and hazing the outflow. 

Farmers are the backbone of a country and scarce water resources severely affect these cultivators. The rural landscape is agriculture-dominant. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the nation’s food demands and economy, yet it suffers critically from water shortages. 

The declining groundwater level, depletion of natural resources, and shortage in monsoon and winter rainfall lead to inadequate irrigation practices and imminent crop failure. The burden falls on their economy, destabilizing the yearly income due to insufficient product output.

Forest areas are another dominant landscape, especially in the mountain rural terrain. Dwindling natural water resources like groundwater, natural springs, and spring-originated rivers have changed the overall scenario of rural landscapes. The agricultural lands are turning barren at an increasing pace as low water availability refrains locals from cultivating in vast areas and limiting them within the vicinity.

In addition to climate and locally induced factors, poor water management, ill-treatment, and over-extraction of groundwater also aid in the water scarcity of rural regions. It is sufficient to alarm the governing bodies to address water security as a serious concern. Short-term and prolonged interventions and strategies must be adopted for harvesting water and promoting sustainable water usage practices.

Realizing the critical issue and stepping up to address and limit clean water scarcity, Prince Pipes and Fittings Limited in collaboration with Ambuja Foundation, as a part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) has stepped significantly into the world of philanthropy and launched a water harvesting project in the Chomu district of Rajasthan. The initiative aims to identify dying and redundant water bodies and revive them to their maximum potential. It also aims to create new water facilities and recharge groundwater.

Tackling Water Scarcity in Rajasthan

The Chomu district has experienced an acute water shortage exacerbated by inconsistent rainfall patterns and depleting groundwater. Recognizing the issues and the urgent need for water harvesting, Prince Pipes and Ambuja Foundation plans to implement sustainable water conservation practices by constructing adequate rainwater harvesting infrastructure like storage tanks, and rooftop rainwater harvest. These implementations aim to rejuvenate groundwater and mitigate local water supply issues in the district. 

Also, the collaboration aims to raise awareness of water scarcity and applicable mitigation practices of conservation. Further, it plans training programs, community participation, and capacity building, where the stakeholders are urged to participate and learn about water conservation techniques and their effective implementation.

Impact Created

Both the implementing partners are focusing on creating a prolonged impact. As per the mitigation plans, the Ambuja Foundations plan to install 50 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures that will provide a resilient source of clean water supply for 250 people in the selected region. 

Additionally, to tackle the imbalance of water demand over supply, the collaboration will focus on rejuvenating two ponds in the region’s vicinity with an enormous storage capacity of 10,000 cubic liters. It will ensure water availability for daily household chores and other water-related activities throughout the year.

To revive groundwater levels, the foundation will apply scientific methods to retain soil moisture and re-initiate downward water movement to replenish the water table. It will also urge for the construction of water retaining structures like check dams, farm bunding, and farm ponds for better percolation and underground water conservation. In addition to all the mitigation practices, the Ambuja Foundation will also provide training for the efficient use of groundwater in agricultural practices and irrigation supplies. 

Water needs a medium to travel if the initiative aims to provide water to 250 people. The Prince Pipes and Fitting Limited will contribute to the project by implementing techniques and providing high-quality pipes for water transport. 

The initiative will also expand to 50 acres of farming land with a sprinkler irrigation system. The Government will aid the corporate bodies by handing subsidies and assistance to unprivileged farmers for a cost-effective installation of sprinkler irrigation systems. Not only the locals of the community will benefit but the livestock too, which requires water for strengthening. 

Pearl Tiwari, Director and CEO of the Ambuja Foundation has expressed his excitement about partnering with Prince Pipelines. In a recent interview he stated that water is an utmost priority and access to clean water should be everyone’s right. The team believes that through this initiative they will create an impact on the lives of the locals of the Chomu district and spread awareness about water scarcity and mitigation methods.

Conclusion

Rural India has yet to unwind the web of environmental and economic issues. Clean water usage is the right of every individual, yet countless rural communities face acute water shortages and lack the knowledge to tackle such issues. Although they apply traditional mitigation practices, the current times need the aid of recent methods over tradition.

As the collaborative project continues to unravel, it serves as a beacon of hope to the marginalized farmers and the communities facing severe water scarcity issues. The constant efforts and knowledge-sharing about receding groundwater and effective harvesting techniques will guide the communities for sustainable water usage. 

Corporate collaborations urging to reach out to the rural communities, recognizing the issues, and concerted actions can ignite a spark in the corporate world, motivating other sectors to step forward and work for a sustainable environment. Together, corporate ventures and rural communities can march forward to tailor solutions crucial for access to water to all. Through combined efforts, rural India can overcome water scarcity and ensure safety and sustainability for the upcoming generation.