New Delhi, Jan 05: Coca-Cola India’s water stewardship initiative, Project Jaldhara, has been recognised as the winner in the Community Development category at the Frost & Sullivan Project Evaluation & Recognition Program (PERP) 2025, acknowledging its measurable impact in strengthening access to safe drinking water and groundwater availability in water-stressed rural communities in Maharashtra. This acknowledgment underscores Anandana – The Coca-Cola India Foundation’s commitment to sustainable water management and community-led solutions.
Project Jaldhara VI, implemented by Anandana in partnership with S M Sehgal Foundation, focuses on addressing local water challenges through a combination of community-level drinking water solutions and watershed interventions. The initiative supports 10 villages in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, including Sillod and Phulambri blocks, where water stress has historically affected health, livelihoods, and agricultural productivity.
The project has helped create and augment significant water storage capacity through a mix of groundwater recharge structures, including check dams, recharge shafts, farm ponds, and bunding interventions. These efforts support water availability for domestic use, irrigation, and livestock, while also strengthening community preparedness for seasonal variability and climate-related stress.
In parallel, community-managed drinking water solutions have improved access to safe, affordable water. As part of Project Jaldhara VI, 10 community-level Reverse Osmosis (RO) units, including water ATMs enabled by RO filtration and supported by wastewater storage tanks, have been installed across participating villages in the region. These systems provide affordable access to safe drinking water for over 20,000 residents, while supporting daily household needs and reducing dependence on unsafe water resources.
Speaking on the recognition, Devyani Rana, Vice President Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia, said,
“Water security remains a shared challenge in many parts of the country, particularly in water-stressed rural regions where access to safe drinking water directly impacts health and livelihoods. Through Project Jaldhara, our focus has been on strengthening community-level water security by combining access to safe drinking water with community-led management, contributing to long-term resilience in villages facing acute water stress.”
Anjali Makhija, Trustee and CEO, S M Sehgal Foundation shared,
“Our partnership with Anandana is helping communities move from water scarcity to reliable access. The Water ATMs are giving families affordable, safe drinking water every day, while check dams and recharge wells are improving groundwater and strengthening local water security. Together, these efforts are creating a model that brings long-term relief to villages and strengthens their water security.”
Beyond infrastructure creation, Project Jaldhara places strong emphasis on community ownership and governance. Local village institutions and user groups are actively involved in planning, operating, and maintaining water assets, helping ensure long-term availability and responsible water use. Capacity-building efforts around water literacy, system maintenance, and collective management have further strengthened local stewardship of shared water resources.
The Frost & Sullivan PERP awards evaluate projects across parameters including innovation, scalability, social impact, and long-term sustainability. Project Jaldhara was recognised for its integrated approach to water access, combining technical interventions with community participation to deliver tangible, lasting outcomes.
This recognition reinforces Coca-Cola India’s continued commitment to supporting water stewardship initiatives that are locally relevant, partnership-led, and designed to strengthen resilience in communities facing increasing water stress.