HDFC Bank Builds 15,000+ Water Structures, Supports Nearly 15 Lakh Rural Households

Mumbai, April 16, KNT: HDFC Bank has said its CSR programme “Parivartan” has built and restored more than 15,289 water structures across India, supporting water access for nearly 1.5 million rural households.

The bank said the initiative spans over 10,430 villages across 28 states and includes drinking water access for more than 950 villages through community purification systems.

The programme, which has been implemented over more than a decade, focuses on strengthening water security in rural and drought-prone regions through a combination of infrastructure development and agricultural support.

According to the bank, the water structures include farm ponds, check dams, rainwater harvesting systems, and decentralized distribution systems such as jal minars. In several regions, lift irrigation systems and recharge wells have also been developed to support farming communities.

The initiative also integrates drinking water solutions through installation of purification systems using ultraviolet (UV), reverse osmosis (RO), and multi-stage filtration technologies, supported by storage and distribution infrastructure.

HDFC Bank said water infrastructure investments are complemented by agricultural interventions, including micro-irrigation systems, shade net houses, and bio-input resource centers, aimed at improving crop productivity and reducing dependence on rainfall.

Community participation forms a core part of the programme, with village-level planning involving self-help groups and water user associations. The bank said GIS-based planning tools are used for site selection, while convergence with government schemes such as MGNREGA is undertaken to enhance impact and avoid duplication.

Nusrat Pathan said the programme aims to address both water access and long-term sustainability.

“Over 15,000 water structures and safe drinking water for nearly a thousand villages is a milestone, but the real measure is in the fields that now yield a second crop and the children who no longer fall ill from contaminated water,” she said.

The bank said Natural Resource Management was added as a dedicated focus area under Parivartan in FY 2024–25, bringing together water conservation, afforestation, soil health, and solar energy initiatives.

The programme aligns with Sustainable Development Goals on clean water and climate action, placing water security at the center of its rural development strategy.

HDFC Bank said its broader CSR programme has impacted more than 105 million people across 28 states and 8 Union Territories, with spending of over ₹1,068 crore in FY 2024–25. [KNT]