Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 is redefining Maharashtra’s water future. Anchored by a formal MoU between The Art of Living Social Projects and the Government of Maharashtra, the initiative is driving large-scale desilting, groundwater recharge and community-led execution across drought-prone regions.
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Gharni River: Desilted. Revived. Alive
With groundwater declining and monsoons often turning rogue, the response is bold, structured, ambitious, and practical – building resilience, restoring water bodies, and securing long-term water stability for the state.
A Nation Running on Empty
India’s water crisis is no longer a distant warning – it’s an everyday challenge. Nearly 80% of the country’s agricultural and domestic water needs rely on groundwater, while only about 20% come from rainfall and surface sources like rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. For more than two decades, extraction has outpaced natural recharge, causing water tables to fall. Disruptions in the hydrological cycle and increasingly erratic rainfall have intensified stress.
The imbalance is stark: an estimated 239 trillion litres of groundwater is extracted each year, yet only around 6% of rainfall is effectively stored, while nearly 78% flows into rivers and eventually the sea. Aquifers remain under severe strain, highlighting the urgent need for structured conservation, storage, and recharge systems.
Between Drought and Flood
For years, large parts of Maharashtra have swung between extremes – drought and flood. Failed or uneven monsoons bring acute scarcity, while heavy rainfall rushes away unchecked, causing damage instead of relief. Streams and rivers that once held water longer are now shallow and silted, reducing storage and weakening groundwater recharge. Increasing reliance on borewells and deeper wells further lowers water tables.
Communities face frequent droughts, declining agricultural productivity, crop losses, flood damage, and dependence on tanker water. This cycle – scarcity, over-extraction, runoff, and loss – reveals that the problem is not rainfall alone, but how water is managed. Structured, long-term conservation became not just necessary, but urgent.
Jalyukt Shivar 2.0: Turning Rain into Security
The initiative is driven by a single, practical goal: make Maharashtra drought-resilient through systematic water management. Its core objectives:
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Capture and store rainwater efficiently
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Strengthen groundwater recharge
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Stabilise and improve agricultural productivity
By rebuilding natural water-holding systems, Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 converts short-lived monsoons into year-round security – benefiting farmers, villages, and future generations.
Reviving Maharashtra’s Waterways
Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 revitalises rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes by desilting, deepening, and widening channels. Pond and lake silt is reused on marginal farms, improving soil fertility.
Maharashtra faces a challenging reality: 80–90% of rainfall falls within just a few months, and most of it runs off without recharging groundwater. Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 changes this, raising infiltration from 6% to 25–35% through scientific, phased interventions:
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Phase I (2013 – 2019): Focused on drought-prone regions, desilting, stream deepening, and water storage
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Phase II (2024 – 2026): Expands coverage, consolidates long-term water security
Scale & Impact
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2,90,64,668 cubic metres of silt removed from rivers, including Gharni, Tavarja, Jana, Mudgul, and more
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16,716 million litres of water conserved since 2013
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12,38,175 total beneficiaries
Farm-Level Benefits:
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Higher yields: Consistent water and soil moisture support better cultivation and crop rotation.
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Stronger incomes: Multiple crop cycles and diversified farming reduce risk and stabilise earnings.
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Flood resilience: Wider, desilted streams prevent waterlogging, erosion, and crop loss.
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Lower drought risk: Recharged aquifers provide water even during dry spells.
National Recognition
In November 2025, The Art of Living Social Projects was honoured by the Ministry of Jal Shakti with two national awards – Best Civil Society at the 6th National Water Awards 2024 (for the second consecutive year) and Best NGO award under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB 1.0).
These accolades recognise the scale, innovation, and measurable impact of Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 – a model for science-driven, community-led, long-term water resilience across India. As Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said, “Our survival depends on water; it is the basis of our life force. We need to protect and nurture the sources of water.” This insight underlines the very ethos of Jalyukt Shivar 2.0: protecting water is protecting life.
About The Art of Living Social Projects
The Art of Living, a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organisation founded in 1981 by world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is deeply committed to addressing India’s pressing water challenges. Through large-scale water conservation initiatives, the organisation works to alleviate water scarcity, restore ecosystems and enhance the quality of life for communities across the country.
To learn more about the initiative or explore CSR partnerships, visit: Best NGO for CSR projects in India.
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