Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on two monsoon rains every year to maintain a regular water supply for domestic and agricultural use - but when the monsoons fail, drought conditions can quickly take hold, with devastating consequences. Rapid climate change is making the situation ever more precarious in remote areas.

Clean water is vital to protect health and limit water borne diseases that can lead to illness and death. Although access to a safe, secure water supply is viewed as a basic human right, around 140,000 children under the age of five still die every year in India due to illnesses that are entirely preventable, caused by contaminated water.

The long-term lack of water can also have wider social implications.  Where there is no reliable water source, the task of collecting water from a local pond or tank, often having to carry it several kilometres, usually falls to women and children. This curtails women’s availability for work, while the resulting disruption to children’s school attendance has long-term consequences for their educational attainment and subsequent life chances.

To date we have created almost 2,500 bore wells, equipped with submersible electric pumps and centrally-located water tanks that are easy to access, bringing reliable supplies of fresh, safe to thousands of people living in rural communities.

We also provide sanitation in communities where many people lack toilet facilities, further helping to fight disease and improve the lives of those who have previously lacked access to clean water.