5 trillion litres of water restored across India, 5 million lives touched
These are the massive numbers that encapsulate the massive impact of Jal Jeevan, the Hinduja Foundation’s pan-India water stewardship program. The Hinduja Foundation, which is the charity vehicle of the Hinduja family, is among the country’s most generous donors. In fact, the recent EdelGive Hurun list ranked the Hinduja family as the 7th largest philanthropist in the country. Led by Swiss-based Prakash Hinduja, the managing trustee, the foundation spent 298 crore on CSR last year. The Edel Give Hurun’s list also features billionaires such as Shiv Nadar and family, the Ambanis, the Bajaj family, Gautam Adani and family, and Nandan Nilekani.
Under
Prakash Hinduja’s humanitarian-focused leadership, the Hinduja foundation is doing critical work in healthcare, rural empowerment, and water conservation and access.
The Hinduja family has always prioritized service to humanity. They were into CSR even before CSR became a recognized concept. The founder of the Hinduja Group, Parmanand Hinduja, lived his life in alignment with the Hindu concept of dharma. ‘I work so that I can give’ was his core belief.
Prakash Hinduja, who is based in Geneva, Switzerland, along with his younger brother, Ashok Hinduja, is continuing the noble legacy that began with his father. The two eldest Hinduja brothers, Srichand Hinduja and Gopichand Hinduja, are no more. They too, were deeply involved in the foundation work. “We are creating a legacy of kindness and concern, not simply corporations. Our CSR efforts are a reflection of our conviction that the capacity to contribute to society and change the world is the genuine measure of success,” said Prakash Hinduja, who travelled from Geneva to Lucknow recently for the launch of a book on Indian numismatics.
The Hinduja Foundation is impacting the lives of millions of Indians. Consider the context of Jal Jeevan, which is the foundation’s flagship program. India is facing growing water stress. According to the Observer Research Foundation, the country faces an impending decline in per capita water availability. In 2018, Niti Aayog released its Composite Water Management Index (CWMI). It revealed that that nearly 600 million people in India are experiencing high to extreme water stress. The report is still relevant and frequently gets cited today by analysts. It said that around 40% of India's population will have no access to drinking water by 2030!
“India, despite holding 4% of the world's water resources, is acutely water stressed. The water situation in India can cause a serious national emergency, with droughts drying our lands barren or floods drowning away entire habitats with people, animals, livestock and infrastructure,” wrote Paul Abraham, president of the Hinduja Foundation, in a piece in the Times of India.
What the Hinduja Foundation and Prakash Hinduja have done for alleviating India’s water crisis is inspiring. We mentioned how the organization has restored 5 trillion litres. The foundation has also restored more than 100 lakes, and constructed and rehabilitated 20,000 open wells. It has installed 765 check dams, and has provided 1.2 billion litres of safe drinking water to rural women.
A part of Jal Jeevan is the Sujal Saheli
(‘water friend’) network, in Rajasthan’s drought-prone Alwar district. It’s a group of 850 women that leads water management and conservation efforts locally. “We used to face a severe water shortage, and walked 3-4 kilometres just to get water. We had access only twice a day, and at the time, had to drop everything and rush to fetch water, even if the children demanded my attention at home. Sometimes, when we reached the place, there would be no electricity, and we had to wait for hours,” said Jyoti, who's one of the first few Sujan Sahelis, as quoted on YourStory.
Jal Jeevan’s community-first approach can also be seen in the Hannikallu Marsh restoration, in Wellington, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. The foundation has, in partnership with Care Earth Trust and the Madras Regimental Centre of Indian Army, converted a 12-acre wasteland area dealing with encroachment and pollution into a vibrant ecosystem. The project has removed 33167 square metres of invasive vegetation, reinstated 10 mountain springs and provided locals with jobs (through manual dredging and planting of indigenous trees). The restoration was funded by Ashok Leyland, which is one of the most well-known Hinduja Group companies and India’s second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.
The community-oriented model is the essence of
Prakash Hinduja’s philosophy of philanthropy. “Philanthropy is not just about financial contributions. It is about creating systems that enable communities to thrive,” Prakash Hinduja has often said. He has also emphasized that “common action is necessary to address complex challenges. One donor cannot handle these problems by themselves. We need to cultivate the capacity to collaborate with those who have similar values."