Rainwater harvesting in the Dudu District, Rajasthan, India
Our final programme in India provided a year round supply of sustainable clean water to marginalised communities at Sunadiya & Chhappya villages.
This project completed in late 2024. Scroll down for an update on this programme and to read historic news about our work in India over almost 40 years.
Key programme facts
Rainwater structures
15 domestic rainwater harvesting structures and one large structure at a primary school
Community
Support
Supported by our
local NGO partner in India –
Water Wisdom
Foundation
Supporting the marginalised
Reducing the vulnerability of women who collect water from long distances and reducing water borne diseases
About our final programme in India
The villages of Sunadiya and Chhappya are in the recently formed Dudu district of Rajasthan, India, located near to the famous Sambhar Salt Lake.
The ground water in this region contains high salinity along with higher fluoride levels & is not suitable for drinking or irrigation. The region has also been affected by recurrent droughts, making the search for new and improved approaches in water resources management an imminent need.
Over half of the Sambhar Salt Lake region is home to marginalized communities lacking infrastructure and other services. Many residents belong to minority communities or the lowest ladder of the caste system, suffering discrimination and extreme poverty.
Due to the water scarcity women and girls / even small children must fetch drinking water from far flung water sources. During the summer water is often collected by digging shallow holes into dry river beds. These areas are prone to contamination and could be situated any kilometers away, making water collection more labour intensive.
Providing year round access to clean water at home will be transformational for the residents of Sunadiya and Chhappya. Women and children will not have to walk far distances to alternative sources of water, allowing children to stay in school and women to focus on other important activities.
We are very grateful to The Monsoon Accessorize Trust for funding this programme which will be delivered during 2024.
As previously advised to our supporters, the WaterHarvest India Liaison Office was formally closed on 31st March 2023. This project in the Dudu District was our final programme in India as our sister organisation the Water Wisdom Foundation (WFF) which we helped to establish, is best placed to continue the work we previously funded.
Our former Country Director, Om Prakash joined WWF in 2024 and he is more than capable of managing future local water harvesting programmes without our involvement. In addition, as WWF is not UK based it is able to raise funds from donors living in India and it has also received FCRA registration to enable it to receive funds from abroad.
We will always remain immensely honoured by what we have achieved in India over the past three decades – none of which would be possible without the support of local partners to whom we wish every success in the future. We would also like to acknowledge all the funders and donors who have supported our programmes in India, with special thanks to the Monsoon Accessorize Trust who have generously supported this work in recent years.
Historic news about our work in India over almost 40 years can be found below.
Historic Programme News
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Monsoon to mouth
When looking at the quality of the water in our rainwater harvesting programmes, we often use the phrase ‘monsoon to mouth’. Quite simply, this means that we look at each step of the process of catching and storing the rain and try to reduce the potential for contamination as much as possible. There are currently…
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Four new projects in the Thar
Our new projects with four new partners took another big step forward with an online meeting between the WaterHarvest team and the new partners. The meeting gave us all the opportunity to see each other face to face and to learn more about each other. The final details of the projects are being sorted but…
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A huge thank you to Julie Bushell!
Since 2012, Julie Bushell has raised over £9,000 for WaterHarvest through hosting a summer and winter quiz – and also a curry night. We do not underestimate the huge amount of work that goes into putting together a quiz, sending it out and collecting all the donations and we are incredibly grateful. We would also…
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Clean drinking water for all
In Rajasthan, there are over a million and a half people living with disabilities. People with disabilities are some of the most marginalised in society, especially in poor countries. Stigma, inaccessible water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and limited independence often result int hem having limited access to water and sanitation services. Persons with disabilities are…
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Increasing our work in the Thar desert
Over 33 years, WaterHarvest has achieved so much due to its incredible, inspirational partnerships with local NGOs. Working with partner NGOs and communities are the back-bone of our work so much so that without them, we could not have directly impacted lives of over two million people and reach almost 2,000 villages. Searching for new…
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Our Annual Review 2019/2020
We are pleased to announce that our latest Annual Review is now out. Our Annual Review takes a look at the last financial year and the work we have been doing, the events we have held and how we have spent the fund generously donated to us. Download the full version in PDF here.…
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Making a real difference
With the number of COVID cases in India still rising, we are pleased to bring news of how the programmes you are funding are making a real difference. Never before has it been quite so important to have access to clean water, better hygiene and sanitation than during this pandemic. These images show how the programmes you have…
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May update from our India office team
The impact from COVID 19 is on livelihoods, not just lives. WaterHarvest’s India office team, whilst working from home, is in touch with our partners to get information from the project villages and regions in Rajasthan and Gujarat. According to our partners, the COVID 19 lockdown has really affected the lives of the poorest of…
