Amazon has announced a groundwater recharge project for Maharashtra’s Vaitarna basin, in partnership with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Expected to be operational by 2027, the initiative will replenish over 1.3 billion litres of water annually, benefiting smallholder farmers and enhancing water availability in the Palghar district, including villages like Abhitghar and Kabra. The project, backed by the Maharashtra government, will implement rainwater harvesting ponds, field bunding, improved drainage, and soil erosion control to boost groundwater recharge, irrigation, and agricultural productivity.

The Vaitarna basin, a key water source for Mumbai, supplies over 870 million litres of drinking water daily via the Lower Vaitarna and Tansa reservoirs. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the project as vital for climate resilience and agro-systems.

ICRISAT estimates it will benefit about 700 farm families, potentially raising household incomes by up to 80 percent during Rabi season. Scheduled to start later this year, the two-year project will support both rural farming and Mumbai’s urban water supply.