History

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Oct 2001:
A public meeting attended by stakeholders from region of the Thar Desert, mandated the formation of JBF to address the Water crises.

Thar Desert, the world's most water distressed and densely populated arid zone

Fragile ecosystem

Extreme economic deprivation

Acute Drinking Water Scarcity

Diminishing traditional forms of natural resources management

Learn more about Project area

October 6-8, 2001 :
The meeting was followed by grass roots consultations in the region during which villagers responded enthusiastically in huge numbers to pledge their support

Public demand grew for the establishment of an organizational framework to formalize and make this water crusade sustainable

Jal Bhagirathi Foundation was formed as a public trust on 15th January 2002

• Settled as a Public Trust, Registration Number:
  06/2002/Jodhpur
• FCRA Number: 125610038, dated 6th January 2003
• Registered under section 12A of Income Tax Act 1961
• Donations exempted under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961

  

Board of Trustees

(Click on Picture to know profile)

HH Maharaja Gajsingh II Founder Trustee
Chairman

Prithvi Raj Singh Founder Managing Trustee

Rajendra Singh Founder Trustee

Kanupriya Harish
Kanupriya Harish inducted as Trustee in 2009 and designated Executive Director in 2014

Core Values

Our organizational thinking and actions are rooted in respect for the communities with which we work and in respect for their collective wisdom in promoting sustainable levels of human interaction with the environment.

We are committed to bringing about change and inclusive growth, while proactively seeking the participation of all those affected by our programmes.

We shall uphold the highest standards of integrity in all our professional and organizational actions, and are committed to Total Quality Management, accompanied by continuous internal improvement

We are committed to extending unqualified support for achieving people's rights (including the right to water) in the belief that our work will be successful if it eventually contributes to improved public governance.

Implementation Framework

Jal Bhagirathi Foundation organizational structure is a unique amalgam of village-level volunteers and a resource base of professionals. The team of 20,000 village-level volunteers is assisted by members of a professional and technical workforce in effectively adopting and implementing a rights-based approach by mobilizing communities, and in planning, implementing, and monitoring development interventions.

Key Achievements

• 2,000+ water harvesting structures revived in approximately 500+ villages in the Thar Desert in Western India
• Beneficiary community of approximately 550,000+ people & livestock enjoying year long water availability
• A capacity to harvest more than 4,000+ million liters of rain water each year has been created in villages
• Water availability has increased from an average of four months to 10-12 months in a year resulting in poverty reduction & improvement in quality of life
• Inclusive Jal Sabhas (water user associations) with participation of marginalized sections & women facilitated & capacitated for community management of villages resources
• Women & girl child saved from the daily drudgery of head loading water 
• Unique system of financing water infrastructure set up. In each village a development fund called Jal Kosh is set up in which communities raise 30 % of the cost of the water harvesting systems. All contributions are raised in cash and formalized by opening a bank account

• Community institutions have set up pricing mechanisms for managing water harvesting structures by devising systems of collecting a user charge. The procedures are used for long-term maintenance of the water structures. This has been a major highlights, especially as government in developing countries face resistance in pricing water
• An external evaluation by UNDP reported that water distressed months have been reduced, women saved from drudgery of walking 3-4 kms everyday, and more importantly a 140% reduction in expenditure on purchase of water, having a major impact on poverty reduction
• Formation and mobilization of volunteer base of 20,000 people to aid in maintenance & sustainability of projects
• 2,100+ homes equipped with toilets through creation of an innovative three-pronged strategy based on individual-, group- and community. JBF’s sanitation program has led to village-wide sanitation and behavior change in approximately 34 villages, with beneficiary contributing 50% in the cost of the toilet
• 100+ hectares of Land reclaimed through successfully completed pasture development work in 25 villages reclaiming grasslands; models of plantation of local variety of trees and fodder are promoted to develop integrated models of land management.