EFFORT partners with IPM India Wholesale Trading to augment water harvesting in villages of Andhra Pradesh

EFFORT, a non-profit organisation committed to empower rural communities for sustainable development has successfully completed a water harvesting project in collaboration with IPM India Wholesale Trading across key water distressed regions of Andhra Pradesh. With an aim to improve water resource management, the project has focused on conserving rainwater by developing relevant infrastructure as well as educating local communities.

Today, India is on the brink of a water crisis. The 2030 Water Resources Group estimates that if we continue to consume water as per the current rate, India will have only half the water it needs by 2030, a possible reality which is only ten years away. Additionally, 60% of India’s districts have been declared critical on groundwater. This means that people either have scarce supply or poor quality of groundwater, or both. A NITI Aayog report also indicates the severe water scarcity which will eventually lead to a 6 percent loss in the country’s GDP.

Marking a step in this direction, EFFORT has successfully implemented a water harvesting/ conservation project across 12 villages of Guntur and Prakasam Districts in Andhra Pradesh. Through concerted efforts, the project has seen the construction of a percolation tank in 1 village, check dams in 2 villages, rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in 6 schools and provision for water purifiers in 6 RWH schools.

Commenting on the project progress, Dr. Hari Babu Pokuri, Project Director of EFFORT, said “While India receives ample rainfall, 95% of this rainwater is lost owing to lack of harvesting and poor management leading to an alarming depletion of ground water and significant wastage of this precious resource. Moreover, with unpredictable monsoons, many villages face water scarcity through the year which makes it difficult to sustain a normal life. In partnership with IPM India Wholesale Trading, we are proud of the positive impact we have been able to create to serve the needs of the local communities and better support them in water resource management. EFFORT endeavors to sustain its efforts of working closely with local communities to spread awareness against wastage of water and implement better conversation best practices.”