With support from the Save Groundwater Foundation, United States, Project JalTara, implemented by The Art of Living Social Projects through Vyakti Vikas Kendra India, is actively restoring groundwater systems across villages in Jalna. The initiative employs scientifically designed recharge structures that capture rainwater and enable its percolation into underground aquifers, thereby strengthening long-term water availability and agricultural resilience.
Jalna, located in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, has long been vulnerable to erratic rainfall patterns, recurring drought conditions, and progressive groundwater depletion. Despite seasonal monsoon rains, a large portion of water is lost as surface runoff due to hard basalt rock formations, black cotton soil that restricts infiltration, and shallow rocky terrain. Continuous over-extraction of groundwater has further worsened borewell levels and reduced agricultural productivity across the region.
Project JalTara addresses these challenges through a decentralised, low-cost, and community-driven water conservation model. The system is based on simple recharge structures constructed using gravel, sand, and stones, designed to filter rainwater and facilitate its gradual absorption into the ground, replenishing depleted aquifers.
The project has been implemented across ten villages in Jalna district, including Ambhor Shelke, Khandvi, Khandviwadi, Kirtapur, Pashta, Watur, Sondeo, Shrishti, Swargaon, and Pimprula. These villages earlier faced severe water shortages, including dry wells, inadequate drinking and irrigation water, barren agricultural fields, and heavy dependence on tanker supply.
Following implementation, local communities have reported measurable improvements in groundwater levels, enhanced soil moisture retention, and increased water availability for both domestic and agricultural use. Farmers who previously managed only one cropping cycle are now able to cultivate up to two cycles in several areas, significantly reducing dependence on external water sources.
The initiative has also contributed to improved vegetation cover, reduced soil erosion, and greater environmental stability. Women in these villages have experienced a notable reduction in the burden of long-distance water collection, reflecting a direct social impact of improved local water access.
A defining feature of Project JalTara is strong community participation. Villagers were actively engaged in site selection, construction, and maintenance of recharge structures, ensuring local ownership and long-term sustainability. The simplicity of the model and its low maintenance requirements have made it highly replicable in other drought-prone regions.
Implementation in Jalna’s semi-arid terrain presented multiple challenges, including hard rocky soil conditions, extreme summer temperatures, and strict pre-monsoon timelines. Mobilising remote communities and ensuring consistent participation required sustained coordination and planning. Despite these constraints, the project was successfully completed through collaborative effort and structured execution.
Project JalTara demonstrates that effective solutions to water scarcity do not always depend on large-scale infrastructure. Instead, small, locally adapted, and scientifically designed interventions can restore groundwater systems, strengthen agriculture, and improve rural livelihoods. By capturing rainwater and replenishing aquifers, the initiative offers a scalable framework for long-term water security in climate-vulnerable regions.
The Art of Living Social Projects, a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organisation founded in 1981 by spiritual leader and humanitarian Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, continues to address critical water challenges through large-scale conservation efforts. The organisation focuses on restoring rivers, reviving ecosystems, and improving the quality of life in water-stressed communities across India while also engaging in corporate social responsibility collaborations with institutional partners.
The success of Project JalTara in Jalna stands as a significant example of how integrated community participation, scientific design, and sustainable practices can collectively reshape water security in drought-affected rural landscapes.
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