Rainwater harvesting in the Thar Desert,India
Year round supply of sustainable clean water to marginalised communities in 3 villages in Kolayat.

Key programme facts
25 Water Tanks
Helping build 25 new water harvesting tanks
Community Contribution
Part funded by local community groups
125 People
Providing clean drinking water for 125 people
About the programme
This programme is located in three remote villages in the Kolayat District, Rajasthan, India. This area is part of the Thar Desert which is a dryland region where annual rainfall is erratic and local water schemes are unreliable.
As a result, girls living in these villages can miss out on an education as they need to fetch water for their families. From the age of 8, they can spend up to a third of their lives carrying pots of water weighing 12kg or more on their heads.
Rainwater harvesting tanks can provide a sustainable solution to this. These tanks catch and store rainwater, typically holding about 22,000 litres. They are built from locally sourced materials and use local labour, meaning that they are sustainable and easy to maintain.
The tanks can then provide a year round source of drinking water at home. A source of clean drinking water at home leads to better health, enables time for work and school and greater funds for other necessities.

Programme News
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News from the Thar Desert, December 2022
Empowerment of women and girls is an important part of our programmes. Water safety training increases health awareness for women […]
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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 […]
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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 […]