The Bundelkhand region, occupying 70,000 square kilometers of the central plains of India (bridging northern Madhya Pradesh and southern Uttar Pradesh states) has been declared as "drought-affected" by the Government of India. Severe water shortages are threatening the survival of some villages in the region.

According to the latest estimates, 46 per cent of Mahoba (a district in Bundelkhand) population lives below the poverty line. Life of the population living in this region is characterized by poor survival chances, landlessness, malnutrition, environmental pollution and social exclusion arising out of caste and gender discrimination and not necessarily linked to income in a predictable manner. Also with land-based resources becoming scarce and more degraded, there is a huge gap between people’s needs and the actual availability of resources.

Low and erratic rainfall, coupled with severe deforestation, have resulted in significant lowering of water table in the area, which was once covered with thick deciduous forests with abundant biodiversity.

With a view to achieve its objectives to augment and replenish ground water in severely water stressed and backward areas, the Foundation has established its first ever partnership with HARITIKA amongst many other NGOs. Under this arrangement, HARITIKA has constructed four check dams in three villages, Narwara, Pathari and Saithwara of Jaitpur Block of the district, preventing rain water from flowing away into the rivers.

The capacity to conserve water through these four check dams is 250,000 m3 and that this would help irrigate 1000 acres of land besides providing other livelihood needs of over 10,000 villagers.