Telangana Village Sees Boost in Crop Yields with Microsoft-Backed Water Recharge Projects
Microsoft's efforts to reduce its water footprint in India are yielding results. In the Telangana village of Elikatta, farmers have seen a significant increase in crop yields and income after implementing groundwater-recharge projects.
The village's farmers rely heavily on groundwater for irrigation, but with uneven rainfall and stretched summers, water availability became uncertain. A study commissioned by United Way of Hyderabad found that groundwater availability was becoming increasingly seasonal and unreliable across the village.
With the help of Microsoft's community partner, 16 bore chargers and 10 soak pits were installed in the first phase, adding approximately five million liters of groundwater-recharge capacity by June 2026. The initiative has also reached over 500 villagers through water-awareness activities.
Farmers like Pittala Raju have seen a 20% rise in income after installing a recharge structure on his farm. 'The co-investment paid off,' he said, 'Today, there's a 20 percent rise in my income, as it allowed me to go from two crop cycles to four.'