Coca-Cola launches game-changing initiative to open up critical resource for thousands of residents: 'Given us a second life'

In one of India's driest regions, a water project is reportedly changing lives. 

Social Action for Rural Advancement (SARA), in partnership with Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, has revived traditional water harvesting systems and built check dams across six villages in Rajasthan's Thar Desert. 

The effort, started around a decade ago, has helped over 18,000 residents who once struggled daily for clean water.

The region receives less than 22 inches of rainfall annually, and more than 70% of its groundwater is unsafe for drinking. For decades, families spent hours collecting salty or polluted water, with little left for farming or income-generating work. Now, with restored ponds and sustainable water systems, households are thriving.

As reported by The CSR Universe, the changes have been profound for 75-year-old Balyawas resident Chawli Devi.

"The water I fetched was often salty or unclean … my cattle were always thirsty, my children fell sick, and I had no time to earn or even rest. Everything was about survival," she said. "This water has given us a second life — not just physically, but emotionally and economically."

The impact is being felt across communities. Farmer Suva Ram, who once struggled to grow anything on his land, now cultivates cucumbers, sandalwood, and mangoes and has seen a boost in his income.

"Beyond that, I've seen neighbors return, and pride return to our fields. Water gave us back our identity," he said.

This initiative is part of Coca-Cola India's Refreshing Difference campaign, which aims to build community water resilience. 

While this is a meaningful step forward, it's worth noting that Coca-Cola is still the world's worst plastic polluter. Efforts like replacing plastic rings with cardboard alternatives and working to reduce plastic waste are certainly encouraging, but the company still has a long way to go.

Where do you get most of your drinking water from? Straight from the tap 🚰 Out of a filter 💧 Bottled water 🗑️ Cans of sparkling water 🧊 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

SARA's model ensured the local community was involved, with families contributing money, labor, or land to the project. Women were trained as barefoot engineers and paid equally for their work, while Village Development Committees now independently manage the systems.

As SARA director Mota Ram explained: "What makes this project different is not just the structures we built — but the mindset we helped shift."

Anandana director Rajiv Gupta, told Impact Magazine: "Water is fundamental to thriving communities and resilient ecosystems. In Rajasthan, our interventions focus on restoring traditional water systems and building local infrastructure that strengthens long-term water security."

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