What happens when a school turns into a pond every monsoon?

That used to be everyday life for Government Senior Secondary School in Kherla village, Haryana. Each monsoon, the grounds filled with water. Morning prayers stopped. Sports were cancelled. Students avoided the flooded toilets. Learning came to a standstill.

But in 2021, things changed.

With help from S M Sehgal Foundation and a CSR-supported project, the school now has a recharge well. This single intervention transformed the campus. What once remained waterlogged for weeks now drains in just two days. In addition, the recharge well sends more than 1.5 million liters of rainwater back into the ground each year.

How does water management impact rural development?

Water affects everything: farming, health, education, and daily life. Over 80 percent of India’s water is used in agriculture. Without water, rural life struggles. With it, all life thrives.

Why water management matters?

What are the biggest water-related challenges in rural India?

Even with numerous schemes in place, rural India faces a water deficit caused by a mix of natural and man-made factors:

What are the key activities in rural water management?

To make water management work in agriculture and rural development, communities must adopt a range of strategies:

These core principles of integrated water management programs are designed for rural India.

What does smart water use look like in agriculture?

Farmers do not need more water; they need to use it smarter.

These tools reduce agricultural water use while growing more food. They make farms climate-ready and more profitable.

Why must the community lead water management efforts?

Real change begins when people lead.

Water affects each household differently. Locals know which well dries up first, or which area floods fastest. When communities manage their own water, the solutions stick due to their ownership, care, and long-term maintenance.

Women especially play a key role. They manage water daily. When they lead, the impact multiplies.

How can collaboration improve rural water systems?

The most successful water management projects are those where CSR, government, and NGOs work together.

In Kherla, this three-way partnership solved waterlogging as well as public health, groundwater depletion, and school dropout challenges.

What long-term benefits can rural India expect?

When rural communities actively manage water resources, the ripple effects last for generations. Improved water access management increases farmers’ potential which means he can grow more than one crop a year, increasing their income and reducing reliance on seasonal migration. Clean, available water also improves public health by reducing waterborne diseases and improving hygiene.

Children, especially girls, attend school more regularly when they do not have to walk miles for water. Women gain time for income-generating activities and community participation. Recharge wells, check dams, and watershed conservation protect against drought, floods, and soil erosion, making villages climate-resilient.

Over time, farming becomes more profitable, youth find reasons to stay, and migration slows. Stronger local economies emerge, powered by better yields, healthier families, and empowered communities. Water becomes not just a resource, but a foundation for lasting rural development.

A 2023 World Bank report noted that better water management systems in India could raise the country’s GDP by up to 6 percent. That scale of transformation is possible!

What exactly changed in Kherla?

Kherla village, Haryana, transformed through just one smart move, a recharge well.

So, is water the key to rural success?

Without a doubt, yes.

Water influences every aspect of rural development—from agriculture to education, from health to employment. And yet, water remains under-prioritized in policy, planning, and action. The Kherla example proves that small-scale, sustainable water management systems can solve large-scale problems if communities are at the heart of it.

Let us embed water management into every rural development program, not as an add-on, but as the foundation. Let us fund smart water management systems, promote watershed harvesting, and empower villagers to take the lead.

Because when rural India controls its water, it shapes its future.

Lalit Mohan Sharma
Principal Scientist, Water Research and Training

Lalit Mohan Sharma is the Principal Scientist, Water Management, at S M Sehgal Foundation, with over 20 years of experience in water and soil conservation. He has developed innovative solutions, such as the JalKalp Biosand Filter and MatiKalp ceramic filter, for providing safe drinking water, and presented a freshwater model at the UN Solution Summit 2015.

The post Why Water Management is the Key to Rural Development Success? appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

As monsoon clouds roll over India’s vast landscape, they bring much-needed relief from summer heat and renewed hope for farmers and rural communities. However, despite the abundance that the rains offer, much of this precious water is lost, flowing away due to poor infrastructure, inadequate storage, and lack of awareness.

Monsoons offer a valuable shared opportunity for communities, governments, and organizations alike. The S M Sehgal Foundation team understands that the monsoon is not just a season; the monsoon season is an opportunity, a chance to conserve, recharge, and secure water for the months to come for water-scarce communities. So, the question arises why is water conservation necessary?

A Paradox of Plenty

India receives nearly 75 percent of its annual rainfall during the monsoon months, yet many rural communities face acute water scarcity year-round. This paradox is most visible and dire in states like Rajasthan and Bihar, where water either floods the fields or vanishes deep underground, out of reach. S M Sehgal Foundation has been working with partners in these regions to reverse this pattern by turning monsoons into opportunities for creating water security.

Success Story: Recharging Hope in Nuh, Haryana

In Nuh, Haryana, one of India’s most water-stressed districts, the foundation team works alongside local villagers to construct check dams and recharge wells. These simple yet powerful structures helped capture monsoon runoff that would otherwise have eroded fertile topsoil and disappeared into drains. More than 100 recharge structures across villages in Nuh have replenished groundwater tables and greatly reduced the drudgery for women who once walked miles to fetch water.

“Earlier, our wells would dry up by October. Now, water lasts till the next monsoon,” says Shabnam, a community member in Nuh.

From Runoff to Resource in Andhra Pradesh

In drought-prone Anantapur, S M Sehgal Foundation introduced rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in government schools. These systems collect and store rainwater for use during dry months, ensuring clean drinking water for students. What began as an infrastructure solution quickly became an educational one: children learned about the importance of water conservation and became ambassadors for change in their communities.

“My students now ask their parents to build rainwater systems at home,” shares a school principal. This ripple effect exemplifies the foundation’s work to promote community-led change.

Smart Technology, Smarter Farming

Monsoons are vital for India’s agriculture, but unpredictable rainfall can make farming a gamble. Through its Adaptive Technology–Agriculture (AT-A) initiative, Sehgal Foundation is piloting IoT-based irrigation solutions that optimize water use in farming and make water conservation in agriculture a reality. In collaboration with agricultural research institutes, these tools are tested on experimental plots and later introduced to farmers, turning monsoon variability into a manageable factor rather than a crisis.

Why Water Conservation Can’t Wait

As climate change amplifies the unpredictability of rainfall, water conservation projects can no longer be reactive, we must be proactive. The monsoon season is a critical window not just to harvest water, but to plant the seeds of behavioral change.

S M Sehgal Foundation combines traditional knowledge with modern water conservation techniques, which illustrates that rural India doesn’t lack the will to change, only the means. Whether constructing check dams, building rainwater harvesting units, or training farmers in water-smart agriculture, the impact is real and measurable.

What Can You Do to Turn This Monsoon Into a Movement?

India’s monsoon season holds immense potential—not just to replenish rivers and fields, but to create lasting water security in regions that face daily scarcity. Here’s how you can contribute meaningfully:

This monsoon season, let’s not watch the rain go down the drain. Let’s capture, conserve, and celebrate water—because every drop counts!

Article originally published on India CSR

Visit www.smsfoundation.org to learn how to be part of this transformation.

About the Author

Rajat Jay Sehgal
Chairperson, S M Sehgal Foundation

Rajat Jay Sehgal is chairperson of Sehgal Foundation and serves on the boards of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment and Hytech Seed India Pvt. Ltd. With a background in Business Administration and MIS from the University of Iowa, he played a key role in developing S M Sehgal Foundation to what it is at present. He has also been awarded with the Iowa Ag Leadership Award and the University of Iowa’s International Impact Award.

The post Monsoon Matters: Why Water Conservation Must Begin Today appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.