Foundation For Rural Recovery And Development (FORRAD)

District

Nalanda

Tiruvallur

Nagaur

Jaipur

Mahoba

Ajmer

States

Tamil Nadu

Bihar

Rajasthan

Uttar Pradesh

1.Pyne Restoration in Bihar
FORRAD has restored 34 km of pynes in Bihar creating a standing storage of 200 million litres of water serving a command area of 4000 acres of farmland.
2.Rainwater harvesting around the Sambhar Salt Lake (In partnership with Manthan Sanstha and Prayatna Sansthan)
Storage capacity of 1.5 billion litres created through restoration of 31 rainwater harvesting structures in 20 villages around the Sambhar salt lake. Each year, about a billion litres of rainwater is collected. The reservoirs are maintained by the panchayats with support from district and state authorities.
3.Water storage for individual households (In partnership with Manthan Sanstha supported by individual donors)
Water storage tanks of 10,000 litres each were constructed for 206 vulnerable families in remote hamlets lacking regular water supply. These communities now have means to store water from weekly tanker deliveries.
4.Watershed development in UP Bundelkhand (with Gramonnati Sansthan)
Watershed development over 1,000 acres in Bilkhi and Tola Swayam villages in Uttar Pradesh transformed wasteland into productive farmland through farm-bunding, check-dams, ponds, and tree plantations.
5.Farm bunding in Dikwaha began on 35 acres of land to conserve water and soil. It was expanded to 110 acres on demand from the community and mandated by panchayat, with farmers contributing 10% via shramdaan and five wells cleared for drought relief. In Baniya Tala, bunding started on 28 acres and extended by 18 more acres after panchayat interest, benefiting additional farmers.
6.The restoration of 39 km of traditional irrigation channels in Tiruvallur district allowing for the use of surface water for irrigation thereby reducing dependence on groundwater and greatly benefitting the small-holder farmers who do not have their own tube-wells.
7.The cleaning of 60 public overhead tanks, (30,000 – 60,000 litres),16 school tanks, 22 open wells reducing contamination.

District

Tiruvallur

States

Tamil Nadu

The Integrated Community Health Programme, initiated in 2018,
covers 31 villages and hamlets and a population of 35,000 people,
around the Michelin India site in Tamil Nadu. It includes the running of
a mobile clinic and several initiatives related to health awareness and
the management of chronic disease.
A doctor, a physiotherapist, a nurse, a health worker coordinator, seven community health workers, a worker at the village level, two health communication coordinators, and a driver make up the health team.

District

Nalanda

States

Bihar

In an action-research project initiated in late 2023, 300 children were assessed for malnutrition in Nalanda district, Bihar. These children belonged to the most marginalised community groups. Children were administered B-complex vitamins, supplementary nutrition in the form of a locally produced protein and energy mix, and put on a deworming regimen. Each child received nutritional supplementation for over 15 months. While results are encouraging, the acute and chronic malnutrition has created stunting and the children did not show the signs of height and weight gain as in other states like Tamil Nadu.

District

Nalanda

Tiruvallur

States

Tamil Nadu

Bihar

Agriculture
Transitioning to Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture in Bihar
700 acres of land in Nalanda district, Bihar transitioned to LEISA in the form of mixed cropping in the winter of 2025.
Tree Plantation
Over 1,600 saplings including mango, guava, banana, drumstick, hog plum (Amra), arjun (Kahua), jackfruit, mahogany, and teak were planted on pyne embankments in Bihar with farmers and local committees ensuring their protection.
System of Rice Intensification in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu
96 farmers were motivated to use the SRI method of rice cultivation over their fields covering a total of 173 acres. SRI uses half the water that the traditional method does.

District

Nalanda

States

Bihar

JB Singh Kanya Shiksha Setu – A Learning Centre for Girls in Bihar
The learning centre, established in 2017, now enrols 141 girls. All girls are enrolled in government schools, and the centre remains essential to address gaps in learning. Most students of the centre are first generation literate and do not have an environment that facilitates learning at home. The centre prepares students and their parents for ensuring learning at school. 140 children have been provided nutritious snacks at the learning centre. This has improved their parameters