Background

Across rural India, access to safe and reliable water continues to be an on-going challenge, particularly in states like West Bengal where seasonal variability and uneven infrastructure continue to shape everyday life. Despite being home to major river systems, there are still disparities when it comes to distribution, groundwater depletion, and delayed monsoons which consequently increase water stress across districts. Reports suggest that nearly 35–40% of rural households in India lack access to safely managed drinking water, while in parts of West Bengal, over 30% of groundwater sources have been found to be affected by contamination such as arsenic, making access to safe drinking water even more of a pressing concern.

These challenges are becoming increasingly harder to deal with due to the effects of climate change and region-specific issues. In areas dependent on agriculture for instance, delayed rain can disrupt irrigation while excessive groundwater extractions can lower the water tables over time. Alongside this, limited awareness around water purification and hygiene contributes to the spread of water-borne diseases, particularly among households with low access to filtration systems. While government interventions and policies do most certainly exist, their reach is often uneven, leaving smaller villages with gaps in both infrastructure and awareness.

HydroShield is therefore a project that’s been developed to address this. Understanding that access to clean water is not only a matter of infrastructure but also of education and community involvement, the initiative hopes to find and implement ways in which  both - immediate relief and long-term resilience can be built together.