Rajasthan, August 11, 2025: Social Action for Rural Advancement (SARA), in partnership with Anandana, The Coca-Cola India Foundation, has improved water access in six villages of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert—Rajpura, Balyawas, Karad, Khora, Dungri Khurd, and Chhota Narena—by reviving traditional water harvesting structures and constructing check dams. The decade-long initiative has benefitted over 18,000 residents, addressing chronic water scarcity in a region where annual rainfall averages just 550 mm and more than 70% of groundwater is unfit for drinking.
SARA’s approach aimed to make water not just a resource, but a catalyst for self-reliance and rural prosperity. In Balyawas, 75-year-old Chawli Devi recalled, “The water I fetched was often salty or unclean, but we had no choice. My cattle were always thirsty, my children fell sick, and I had no time to earn or even rest. Everything was about survival.” After the village pond was revived, she gained access to clean water at home, enabling her to farm, rear cattle, and sew for income. “This water has given us a second life—not just physically, but emotionally and economically. We are no longer walking long distances for water.”
In Rajpura, 70-year-old farmer Suva Ram saw a dramatic turnaround after a check dam was built near his land. “When I first moved here in 1995, the wells gave us more salt than water. Years would go by without a harvest. People were migrating from the village just to survive,” he said. With improved water availability, he now cultivates cucumbers, sandalwood, and mangoes, raising his annual income from ₹3–4 lakh to ₹24 lakh. “Beyond that, I’ve seen neighbours return, and pride return to our fields. Water gave us back our identity.”
Highlighting the project’s community-led model, Mota Ram, Director of SARA, said, “What makes this project different is not just the structures we built—but the mindset we helped shift. Families contributed—some gave ₹100, some gave labour, others gave land. That ownership changed everything. We insisted on equal pay for women, trained them as barefoot engineers, and helped form Village Development Committees that now manage the water systems themselves. Even nine years after project completion, they’re still maintaining, adapting, and innovating.”
The initiative is part of Coca-Cola India’s Refreshing Difference campaign, which focuses on responsible water stewardship, community water resilience, and equitable access to clean water. By supporting projects based on local knowledge, such as watershed restoration, the campaign aims to deliver measurable, lasting impacts through shared ownership and sustainable practices.
SARA, with over 35 years of work in social development, continues to focus on health, education, rural livelihoods, and women’s empowerment in Rajasthan. Anandana, The Coca-Cola India Foundation, provides grants and assistance to partners implementing projects for social welfare across the country.
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