BPCL’S “Project BOOND”, First-of-its-Kind Water Conservation Project that is Transforming Indian Rural Landscape

2026-07-16 08:42:05 Business

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Water is a very precious resource that is the very source of our life. It is often said that if ever there will be a third world war, it would be fought for the control of water resources.

In India, for some villages, water shortages have become a chronic reality of life. To help the villagers mitigate this crisis, BPCL has implemented a series of initiatives under our project called Project BOOND.
Project BOOND has been bringing back hope to the lives of many by implementing a series of water conservation interventions in several water-deficient regions.

The measures that we take include rainwater harvesting through check dams and roof-water harvesting, renovation and deepening of wells, tank distillation, farm ponds, sub-surface bunds, etc.
The Sustainability of the program is ensured by close community participation in these projects including ?Shramdaan?.

Ramachandran, from one of the beneficiary communities, says, ?Now I happily grow fruits such as pineapple and pomegranate, as there is no shortage of water now.?

Another farmer, Kishore, living in a village about 60 kilometers from Kolar, grows vegetables like cauliflower, tomato, and potato. He says, ?During the long periods of acute water shortage, we suffered a lot. There was a time when I thought of quitting farming and migrating to a city in a search of a job. But now I don?t need to, as we have ample of water here, and I now have a stable income.?

? The huge success of Project BOOND is reflected by the fact that it has converted more than 230 villages from ?water scarce? to ?water positive?, a tremendous feat.
? The far-reaching program has converted more than 230 villages in the six states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, from water-scarce to water positive.
? Collaborating with specialist agencies, BPCL has been making a vital difference to these communities.

- Launched almost 2 decades ago, the Water conversation project continues to bring much-needed relief by addressing the situation through locally appropriate pre-emptive solutions.
- Take the example of the Kolar region in Karnataka, where people had to often excavate up to 2000 feet in order to tap the groundwater.
- Since 2013, activities such as watershed development, training programs for framer groups, self-help groups, farmer training organic agriculture, etc have also been undertaken.

The recharged tanks and farm ponds also brought increased revenue through fishery and organic farming. The water collected also serves as a reserve for irrigating a second creating a significant difference in the lives of beneficiaries with positive impacts on livelihood generation crops. Overall through this project, BPCL was able to, groundwater recharge, soil erosion control, and food security.

We have also been successful in restoring the flora and fauna of the areas around the projects. There is an increase in green cover around the water bodies, accompanied by an increase in the frequency of sighting bio-indicator groups of organisms like birds, butterflies, around the local ecological setup.

For more details visit:https://www.bharatpetroleum.in/social-responsibility/csr-thrust-areas/water-conservation.aspx