Dated: 30th May 2026
The ADDCWES centre of IIEST Shibpur, which is dedicated for advancement in water and environment studies is implementing a pilot project on rainwater harvesting in Jhalda I block of Purulia district in partnership with SIGMA Foundation. The progress of the project was reviewed on the 29th May at IIEST, Shibpur.
The meeting was attended by key dignitaries including Prof. Arun Deb, Governing Body Member, ADDCWES, IIEST Shibpur; Prof. Anirban Gupta, Centre Director, ADDCWES and Dean – International Relations & Alumni Affairs, IIEST Shibpur; Er. Shyamaprasad Dutta, Governing Body Member and Dr. M. N. Roy, Founder-President, SIGMA Foundation, Dr. Debasri Mukherjee, Assistant Director – WASH and other members of SIGMA Foundation and IIEST.
The project is being designed as a pilot initiative promoting use of locally available materials, which is to evolve into a scalable and replicable model for water-stressed regions for which the Gram Panchayat will also be capacitated. The design is going to be finalized after site validation within a month.
The project places a strong emphasis on applied, field-based research to understand various factors that can provide long-term sustainability of the project and to measure the impact on local people. A critical component will be groundwater monitoring, where local Gram Panchayat representatives will be trained to record and manage rainfall and groundwater table data over time, enabling evidence-based water conservation initiatives. Community engagement will be central, with awareness campaigns and training on climate-smart agriculture and natural farming practices. Together, these research efforts aim to generate actionable insights, strengthen community resilience, and create a replicable model for climate-adaptive water resource management.