As groundwater levels continue to fall across large parts of India, a grassroots organisation is quietly reversing drought conditions in some of the country’s most water-deficient regions. Aakar Charitable Trust, founded in 2003 by social reformer Amla Ruia, has helped restore water security in rural India by constructing rainwater harvesting structures that recharge groundwater and revive local economies.
Over the past 23 years, the Trust has built more than 1,380 water bodies across 11 states, including 825 check dams and 555 ponds. These structures now benefit 1,284 villages and have positively impacted nearly 1.8 million people. According to the organisation, its projects convert rainwater into long-term groundwater reserves, collecting nearly 38 billion litres of water annually and turning over 6.7 lakh acres of previously arid land into irrigated farmland.
India currently faces severe water stress, with more than 600 million people living in areas classified as having high to extreme water scarcity. In this context, Aakar’s approach focuses on simple but effective solutions. Check dams, which slow down rainwater runoff and allow it to percolate into the ground, help recharge wells and borewells over a wide area. In several villages, rising groundwater levels have also reduced salinity in well water, improving its quality for drinking and farming.
The initiative began in 2006 with a single check dam in Mundawara village in Rajasthan. The transformation was dramatic. Within three years, farmers in the village earned nearly Rs 12 crore, setting off a ripple effect across neighbouring regions. Many villages supported by Aakar are now referred to as “crorepati villages” due to their sustained agricultural incomes.
Improved water availability has allowed farmers to grow up to three crops a year, invest in tractors, solar panels and automated irrigation systems, and expand into animal husbandry. The return of reliable livelihoods has led to reverse migration, with many villagers who had moved to cities returning home. Women no longer spend hours fetching water, children especially girls are attending school regularly, and young people are pursuing higher education.
Beyond water conservation, Aakar’s model links environmental work with social reform. Before construction begins, villagers agree to contribute 30 per cent of the project cost through money, labour or materials. This ensures community ownership and long-term maintenance of the structures. Villagers also take voluntary pledges to abandon practices such as dowry, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and extravagant ceremonies, helping families avoid debt and protect their improved incomes.
Where check dams are not feasible due to terrain, the Trust builds ponds to store rainwater. Each pond supports farming, fishery and animal husbandry activities, generating an average annual income of around Rs 20 lakh for three to four farmers. Some of Aakar’s larger check dams can store up to 12 crore litres of water in a good monsoon, and the work has led to the creation of more than 190 new streamlets feeding local river systems.
Villages supported by the Trust now generate an estimated annual income of over Rs 3,400 crore through agriculture and allied activities. However, Aakar’s vision extends beyond income generation. The organisation also runs tree plantation programmes, having helped plant over 71,000 trees since 2008, and supports rural education through teacher training and school development initiatives in Rajasthan.
In Mumbai, the Trust has transformed a former dumping ground into Shantivan, a green space featuring herbal gardens, waterfalls and cultural areas, reflecting its broader commitment to ecological and social well-being.
At the heart of this movement is Amla Ruia, affectionately known as the “Water Mother” by villagers. She says the absence of water makes all other development efforts meaningless. Her focus on sustainable, community-led water solutions has shown how restoring groundwater can restore dignity, livelihoods and hope in rural India.