Transforming water management and helping ensure water security in India

Water is the lifeline of Indian agriculture, sustaining millions of farmers who form the backbone of the nation’s food security. However, erratic rainfall and depleting water resources threaten their livelihoods.

Recognising this urgent need, Deutsche Bank continues to support sustainable water solutions for the farming community in India through its CSR partnerships with leading NGOs such as Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) and the Centre for Collective Development (CCD).

Transforming lives through groundwater recharge

In Paithan, Aurangabad, farming was becoming increasingly impossible for Ramesh Taware and hundreds of other farmers due to frequent droughts and water scarcity. Without reliable irrigation, his crops suffered, and his family’s income dwindled.

Deutsche Bank, in partnership with WOTR, implemented a transformative water resource development and management project in the region. The project focused on:

• Constructing cement nala bunds to capture rainwater and enhance groundwater recharge.
• Providing training to 1,200 farmers on crucial techniques like water budgeting, micro-irrigation, and drought-resistant crop cultivation.

As a result of these efforts, farmers like Taware have witnessed a remarkable turnaround. Their farms are thriving, productivity has doubled, and their families are experiencing newfound stability

Restoring water bodies, rebuilding livelihoods

For Radhamma, a farmer in Karnataka’s Kolar district, water scarcity made cultivation a struggle. With 60% of the 3,500 water bodies in the region functioning below capacity, irrigation was unreliable.

• Deutsche Bank partnered with CCD to implement a project focused on the rejuvenation of water bodies. The key initiatives included:
• Desilting five water bodies, resulting in the creation of a significant water storage capacity of 210 million litres.
• Providing farmers with nutrient-rich silt, a by-product of the desilting process, to use as fertiliser for their land.

The impact of this project has been multifold:

• Farmers like Radhamma have experienced a 60% increase in crop yield due to the use of silt as fertiliser.
• Groundwater levels have seen a significant recharge, ensuring a more reliable water source for irrigation.
• The need for irrigation has reduced by 40%, leading to water conservation and cost savings for farmers.

Through these strategic CSR partnerships with WOTR and CCD, Deutsche Bank is helping empower communities, fostering resilience and promoting sustainable water management practices.