CSR initiative targets groundwater recharge, biodiversity restoration, and community-led water governance in a climate-stressed district.

In India’s increasingly water-stressed heartland, corporate sustainability is shifting from cheque-writing to infrastructure rebuilding. United Breweries Limited (UBL), part of the HEINEKEN Company, has launched Project Jal Samridhi in Rajasthan’s Kothputli-Behror district—an intervention aimed at restoring village-level water assets to strengthen long-term groundwater security.

Implemented in partnership with S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF), the project centres on the rejuvenation of a community pond in Googal Kota village, a region facing acute water scarcity due to erratic rainfall, over-extraction of groundwater, and declining natural recharge capacity.

The pond restoration involved de-silting to improve holding capacity, embankment strengthening to prevent erosion, pathway development for community access, and installation of solar street lighting, blending ecological renewal with public safety and usability. Once completed, the asset was formally handed over to the Gram Panchayat, embedding local ownership into the project’s sustainability framework.

Beyond water storage, the initiative also focuses on ecosystem recovery. Over 1,000 native saplings have been planted around the pond to enhance biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, and create a micro-ecological buffer that supports long-term recharge.

The inauguration was attended by Shyam Sundar Yadav, Sarpanch of Googal Kota village, Ravindra Yadav from the Public Works Department, alongside local panchayat members and residents—signalling alignment between corporate, civil society, and grassroots governance.

For UBL, the project reflects a broader recalibration of CSR priorities toward water stewardship as strategic risk management. As climate volatility intensifies pressure on agricultural and rural economies, access to reliable water infrastructure increasingly shapes social stability in operating regions.

“Project Jal Samridhi reflects our continued efforts to strengthen water security and support long-term environmental sustainability in the communities we operate in,” said Garima Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, United Breweries Limited. “The rejuvenated pond will play a vital role in improving groundwater recharge and restoring the local ecosystem. This initiative demonstrates how partnerships can deliver meaningful and lasting impact.”

SMSF underscored the importance of community ownership in ensuring durability beyond project timelines. “Our collaboration with UBL is enabling community-led water management,” said Anjali Makhija, Chief Executive Officer, S M Sehgal Foundation. “The rejuvenation of the Googal Kota pond, combined with plantation activity, will help improve water availability while strengthening local biodiversity.”

As India’s water crisis becomes both an environmental and economic constraint, initiatives like Jal Samridhi point to an emerging model of corporate-backed natural infrastructure, where restoring ponds, tanks, and commons may prove as critical to resilience as building roads or warehouses.