Water table rose 5–10 feet
Measurable rise in groundwater levels at ATC Tires Integrated Project sites — with improved water security for agriculture and livestock.
Rainwater harvesting CSR activities
A multi-year CSR partnership with TATA Power, ATC Tyres, Krishna Mines and Cheran Spinning Mills — rejuvenating water bodies and recharging groundwater in the water-stressed Manur Block of Tirunelveli and parts of Karur District.
14,000+
Farmers benefited
118
Recharge shafts
11
Traditional tanks desilted
59,850
Trees & seeds planted
The project
What this project set out to do
Project mission
High-impact rainwater harvesting projects partnering with leading corporate entities to address critical water scarcity, enhance agricultural resilience and promote sustainable livelihoods — improving water security by rejuvenating traditional water bodies, increasing groundwater recharge, and empowering communities with the knowledge and infrastructure for effective water management.
Between 2018 and 2023, Coodu Trust partnered with several leading corporate entities — TATA Power, ATC Tyres (through United Way, Mumbai), Krishna Mines and Cheran Spinning Mills — to deliver rainwater harvesting projects under Corporate Social Responsibility mandates. Work focused primarily on the water-stressed Manur Block in Tirunelveli District and parts of Karur District, including 18 villages covered with ATC Tyres and RWH systems built in village water bodies in Kadavur Block, Karur, with Cheran Spinning Mills.
The partnerships built a full spectrum of water infrastructure: 11 traditional tanks desilted, 118 recharge shafts, 25 baby ponds, 90 metres of trench banding and 125 rooftop rainwater harvesting systems for households — alongside 59,850 trees and seeds planted, including horticultural species and drought-resistant varieties like Palmyrah.
The key strategy was active community participation: forming local user groups and running extensive capacity-building programmes so that farming communities, households and livestock keepers own and sustain the created assets for the long term.
- Water body rejuvenation
- Groundwater recharge
- Community empowerment
- Afforestation & greening
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Silted tanks and falling groundwater
In water-stressed blocks like Manur, traditional tanks lose their storage to silt and rain runs off instead of recharging aquifers — leaving farms without reliable water.
Our response
Rebuild the recharge infrastructure
11 traditional tanks desilted, 118 recharge shafts, 25 baby ponds and 90 metres of trench banding built — and the water table rose by 5–10 feet at ATC Tires Integrated Project sites.
The challenge
Assets that fail without local ownership
Water structures built for communities — rather than with them — often fall into disuse once the project team leaves, with no local structure to maintain them.
Our response
User groups and capacity building
7 user groups formed as local management structures, backed by extensive capacity-building programmes — 14,000+ farmers benefited through improved water availability and training.
At a glance
The essentials
- Scheme
- CSR partnershipMulti-year initiative implemented under Corporate Social Responsibility mandates
- Period
- 2018–2023Successfully completed
- Coverage
- Tirunelveli & KarurPrimarily the water-stressed Manur Block, Tirunelveli District, and parts of Karur District including Kadavur Block
- Beneficiaries
- 14,000+ farmersFarming communities, plus households through 125 rooftop RWH systems and livestock via improved water security
- Corporate partners
- 5 partner projectsTATA Power, ATC Tyres (through United Way, Mumbai), Krishna Mines, ATC Tires (Integrated Project) & Cheran Spinning Mills
- Lead implementer
- Coodu TrustCommunity participation through 7 user groups and capacity-building programmes
Outcomes
What the project changed
30% cultivable area expansion
Cultivable area increased, enabling multi-cropping practices — and 14,000+ farmers benefited through improved water availability and training.
Community ownership that lasts
7 user groups and capacity-building programmes ensured long-term sustainability of assets, while afforestation drives enhanced ecosystem resilience and biodiversity.
Get involved
Support water security for farming communities
Join us in rejuvenating traditional water bodies, recharging groundwater and building community-owned water infrastructure across Tamil Nadu — work proven at scale with our CSR partners.