This challenge is even more acute in India given the very high-population density and resulting in further pressures on the overall water chain. Even after almost 70 years since India’s independence, many remote villages have highly contaminated water sources with extremely high levels of dissolved solids, fluoride, iron, arsenic, and other toxic components. With the myriad of tough challenges in the water domain, the spectrum of promising innovations is also amazing – from a variety of water purification approaches (from home use to industrial-scale) to lake and spring rejuvenation to de-silting of age-old water tanks to water conservation techniques to micro-irrigation systems to smart crop-rotations to borewell recharging systems – almost boundless excitement of opportunities. Given the scale of the problem (nearly 1.4 Billion people and a huge geography expanse from world-record rainfall & floods to nearly no annual rainfall), it is paramount to leverage resources across the spectrum – public & private, individual entrepreneurship to non-profits.

WHEELS Water Council has set out its vision to become ‘trusted partners’ to catalyze holistic rural resurgence through Collaborative Governance for rural infrastructure and, integrated water conservation and management with technology as the enabler.

Its mission is to drive interventions for use of appropriate technology in the country at scale with collaborative multi-stakeholder partnerships, and leverage best practices spanning academia, scientific and research organizations, IITs, social enterprises, grassroots organizations, Industry, and others.

We have multiple projects driven through close partnerships with several like-minded organizations.