EDITOR’S SYNOPSIS
· Ambuja Cements, as part of its CSR, has revived traditional village ponds to enhance water security and climate resilience in Rajasthan.
· Community-led desilting and restoration improved groundwater recharge and agricultural productivity.
· 200+ ponds revived across 33 villages, creating over 23 lakh cubic metres of rainwater harvesting capacity.
Ambuja Cements, the 9th largest building materials solutions provider globally and part of the diversified Adani Portfolio, is strengthening rural water security in Rabriyawas region of Rajasthan through large-scale revival of traditional village ponds under its CSR initiatives. Launched in 2006–07, the programme focuses on restoring neglected and silted water bodies through a people-centric model that combines technical expertise with strong community participation, enabling sustainable water management and long-term climate resilience in water-stressed rural areas.
One of the key interventions under this programme is the revival of Gawai Pond in Balada village, where Ambuja Cements provided advanced machinery and technical expertise, while the community contributed manpower and transport support. The initial desilting created 20,000 cubic metres of additional storage, and for over two decades the pond was revived 17 times, expanding its cumulative capacity to 2,15,000 cubic metres, turning it into a vital source for drinking water, livestock and irrigation.
The enhanced water storage in Gawai Pond Balada has enabled cultivation of over 185 hectares, ensured consistent groundwater recharge even during peak summers, and improved soil fertility through nutrient-rich silt, resulting in better crop yields, increased kharif and rabi cropping, and reduced dependence on erratic rainfall.
To date, Ambuja Cements has revived 200+ ponds across 33 villages around Rabriyawas, creating 23,16,935 cubic metres of rainwater harvesting capacity and benefiting nearly 70,000 people and over 50,000 livestock annually. The initiative has also supported ecosystem restoration, biodiversity regeneration and reduced soil erosion, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainable water stewardship in Rajasthan.