Page 24 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2021-22

Convening Collaborating with partners

ecological on ecological initiatives

As part of its effort to build water-resilient rural
restoration communities, Reliance Foundation has worked with the
Paani Foundation since 2016 in Western Maharashtra,
Vidarbha and Marathwada.
initiatives In FY21-22, these initiatives included an on-ground,

day-long water and ecological security forum involving
6,024 people from 778 villages across 39 taluks staged
for the first time since the pandemic and involved
trainings as well as discussions. Subsequently, people
from across Maharashtra came together for one of
India’s largest decentralised well census and well water
measurement initiatives. The initiative, led by residents
In FY21-22, Reliance Foundation undertook crop from 734 villages recorded a total of 36,237 wells and
surveys and planning for 93 crops across 600 villages. 24,395 borewells, involving 18,649 measurements
Conducted major plantation drive on Independence across 7,359 unique wells.
Day, along with shramdaan from villagers planting
2,50,000 saplings on the banks of water bodies. Meanwhile, under the Paani Eco programme, farmers
(particularly women) have been trained in value
Reliance Foundation helped create four Miyawaki addition and sustainable livelihoods.
forests in the villages of Jaipur, Pimpri and Warud to
accelerate ecological restoration through native plant
species. A further 150,000 bamboo saplings and
1,00,000 other saplings were planted across 39 talukas.
With Reliance Foundation’s support, over 60 villages
have built nurseries and a further 614 villages created
protected grasslands.

Raising ecological awareness

A citizen-led
water initiative in

Kharwan, Uttarakhand

The Kharwan Gram Panchayat in Uttarkashi is
home to 110 families, who depend largely on hill
farming and animal husbandry for their livelihood.
The village was suffering from an acute water crisis,
aggravated by damage to two key irrigation canals
during construction.

Reliance Foundation worked with the Gram
On World Environment Day 2021, Reliance Foundation Panchayat to mobilise the community for a major
provided awareness for 13.8 lakh people from 19 states, initiative to bring water back to Kharwan. 30 women
on climate change adaptation. Two lakh saplings were and youth volunteers from the village worked
planted. In FY21-22, digital programme sessions were relentlessly for 28 days to reconstruct the 1.5 km
conducted for 2,000 students, educating them on the long irrigation canal in the sweltering months
threat of climate change using interactive modules. of May-June 2021. Their inspiring effort helped
Towards the Nationwide Clean India Drive, over restore irrigation to the village, benefiting 85 local
20,100 people from 544 villages were reached with households. This is an inspirational example for
initiatives around cleanliness, WASH and plastic waste villages everywhere and shows the power of
management. These enabled increased community citizen-led initiatives, where residents take
support for ecological conservation. ownership of water interventions.

24 Reliance Foundation