BENGALURU, India, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --  The groundwater crisis in India is a cause and an indicator of the ongoing climate change in the world. It fights individuals in the form of contaminated water sources, untimed floods and droughts, rise in sea levels, and shrinking ice sheets. The inextricable link between the actions at the household level and the resilience of a society is the only way to curb the threat. Experts and geologists have raised concerns about making water the heart of all the action plans to protect lives from water crisis in India.

The link between groundwater and climate crisis

Significant impacts of climate change have been witnessed through changing water availability. These observations are anticipated to only worsen with time. Water patterns have made it difficult to access drinking water, leading to vulnerability in rural parts of India. Soil erosion has become so prominent in the running of the highly-nutritious topsoil, worsening the quality of the crops that are being sowed in the arable lands. Mass deforestation is another factor leading to the climate crisis in a country like India. Rural stretch in India depends on groundwater resources for most of its uniform and non-uniform tasks. Since two-third of India's total population depends on the agricultural sector for employment, water availability is a must as it plays a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the crops.  

Many experts have argued that rainwater could be an excellent substitute for groundwater in the coming years, owing to the depletion of groundwater channels. But in retrospect, the current water cycle problems, 78% of the rainwater flows directly into the ocean yearly. Only 6% of the rainwater is saved and used for agriculture. If this was not enough, the already scarce groundwater is extracted approximately 239 trillion litres yearly. This is a clear testament to the fact that the current recharge system that India is following needs to be more efficient to prepare for water management and conservation.

JalTara- a unique solution for rural India's water crisis

Protecting ecosystems and safeguarding resources is a must to mitigate the water problems stemming from the country. In recent years, all environmentalists have focused on reducing carbon footprints to eradicate the climate crisis. But more is needed to balance global water needs, and for which innovative and scalable solution for water crisis  have been formulated. One such unique and efficient guide towards water conservation is JalTara.  

JalTara is a social initiative by Art of Living, formed under the able guidance of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to curb the water crisis in the rural parts of India. It aims at transforming  impervious topsoil into an absorbent sponge that can hold groundwater for all commercial agricultural purposes. The project is aimed to create porous recharge structures that are 6 feet deep and 4 feet across at the lowest point within the arable acre-plot of land in different regions in a village with two fruit-bearing trees on each side.

These recharge structures will help the rainwater to bypass the dense, impervious topsoil and recharge the underground aquifers.

From March 2021 to March 2022, an average of 14 ft. rise in the water table has been seen. The total farmers' income is more than doubled which has helped solve major financial problems in rural India.  There has been an increase in the average crop yield by 42% defining the prominent positive impact of the project in the villages. Rural belts in India witnessed a 58% average increase in land usage.

This project's scope is centred on the positive impact it has brought in the lives of the villagers in India. With increased land productivity empowering farmers  with  better employment opportunities, farmers can finally focus on the core farming activities rather than worrying about the routine water problems in the region.

About VVKI-The Art of Living

The Art of Living JalTara, under the guidance of world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader – Gurudev  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is solving India's looming water crisis & eradicating water poverty.

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Contacts:
Shamika Gandhi,  
+91 9986557389,
shamika.gandhi@projects.artofliving.org

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