Water security
Across the Northwestern Western Ghats, villages often receive intense monsoon rains and still face acute shortages within months. Rapid runoff, degraded catchments, shallow soils, and limited local governance capacity can move water out of the landscape quickly.
The Problem >
In the Western Ghats, seasonal water poverty can emerge even in rain-rich geographies, shaped by fractured geology and low groundwater percolation, alongside long gaps in climate-resilient infrastructure planning. Women and children often walk 3–5 km daily for water, locking communities into cycles of unpaid labour.
< Our Solution
We apply a hydrogeology-first approach and design decentralised water systems – open wells, recharge pits, contour trenches – based on village-level aquifer mapping. Communities build infrastructure through local labour, and inclusive Water Governance Committees steward these assets over time to
Active Projects
Parner Water Body Rejuvenation,
Ahilyanagar
Between March and June 2025, we partnered with six Gram Panchayats in Parner block, Ahilyanagar, to rejuvenate nine long-standing water bodies, creating 380 million liters of local water storage. This expanded storage strengthens year-round water security for drinking needs, irrigation, and livestock for 129 farmers and their families, while also improving groundwater recharge and soil moisture – helping the local landscape hold water longer and supporting ecological health for future generations.
Jawale Watershed Development - Parner, Ahilyanagar
In Jawale village, Parner block, we are building an integrated watershed designed to capture an estimated 500 million liters through 12,000 running meters of soil and moisture conservation trenches. By June 2026, 20,000 plantation pits and an efficient irrigation system will support new green cover and help restore degraded commons. Together, these measures reduce runoff, increase infiltration, and revive productive land and biodiversity – strengthening climate resilience for both communities and the surrounding ecosystem.
Irrigation for ReGreen Plantations, Nashik
Across 31 villages in Deola, Dindori, and Trimbakeshwar blocks of Nashik district, we are implementing soil-moisture conservation works and irrigation systems to anchor our plantations. Structures such as check dams, farm ponds, and micro-irrigation help saplings survive harsh summers and grow into robust native forests. By securing moisture through the toughest months, these interventions sustain plantation survival, enable groundwater recharge, support carbon sequestration, and reinforce nature-based livelihoods connected to healthier watersheds.
Discover how our Palghar Water Project comes to life on the ground
What We Do
Raah secures water across seasons by helping villages slow, store, share, and sustain water – through solutions that serve households and livelihoods and regenerate the landscape.
< Where
We prioritise landscapes where water insecurity places the highest burden on households, small farmers, and women – and where regenerating local recharge systems can create lasting downstream benefits. These are villages where intense monsoon rainfall is followed by long droughts, the resulting degraded catchments make seasonal scarcity routine.
How >
Partners
Problem
Solution
Gallery
