Mansi Thakar Jani
←Bridge the Gap — Healthy Cities
Varso Jal Sanchay Initiative
Mahuva, Dabhoi and Viramgam · Gujarat · January to April 2026
Gujarat built stepwells and lakes to hold water through the dry months. Munsar Lake had been ignored for years. Four events later there are volunteers trained as Stepwell Guardians who check on the sites when nobody is watching.
~700
People engaged
January to April 2026
4
On-ground events
January to April 2026
5+
Community groups involved
January to April 2026
The work
Put the old water structures back in use
Saptamukhi at Dabhoi, Valavav at Mahuva, Munsar Lake at Viramgam. They still hold water. Mostly they hold rubbish.
Guardians, not visitors
A clean-up crowd leaves the same evening. Local volunteers were trained to keep watch on a site after it does.
Take the students to the well
Heritage taught next to the thing itself, with sketching and a survey, rather than in a chapter about water conservation.
- Ran four on-ground events across Mahuva, Dabhoi and Viramgam
- Cleaned up Munsar Lake at Viramgam with local volunteers and the Ahmedabad Bike Riders Community
- Ran awareness sessions and heritage talks at the Saptamukhi stepwell in Dabhoi, with live sketching
- Took students from Sathara village to the Valavav stepwell
- Documented the sites by drone and ground survey, and tested the water
- Trained local volunteers as Stepwell Guardians
- Began registering the group behind it as the Kachab Foundation
- Ahmedabad Bike Riders Community
- Junagadh clean-up groups
- Sathara High School, Mahuva
What people said
Tejas Vejani
“This initiative helped us see Munsar Lake in a new way. We had ignored it for years, but through this clean-up and awareness effort, we now understand its importance and feel responsible for keeping it clean.”
Local resident · Viramgam
Maheshwariben Ghoghari
“The Varso Jal Sanchay Abhiyan provided meaningful experiential learning for our students by connecting heritage with water conservation. The visit to Valavav stepwell enhanced their understanding of traditional water systems and instilled a sense of responsibility towards protecting such structures. Initiatives like this are crucial for shaping environmentally conscious youth.”
Teacher, Sathara High School · Mahuva
A student at Sathara High School
“Visiting Valavav stepwell and learning about its history was a new experience for us. It made us realize how important it is to protect these water structures and not throw waste around them.”
Mahuva
A clean-up volunteer
“Being part of the clean-up made me feel connected to our heritage. Small actions like this can bring real change if more people participate.”
Viramgam
The rest of the cohort
-
Bharuch · Gujarat
Anjali Choudhary
Maati Maange More
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Jabrella, Bharsaua and two further campuses · Uttar Pradesh
Palak Bajpai
Miyawaki Plantation Project
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Chinthamani, Chikaballapura district · Karnataka
S Vineeth Kumar
Paradox Bio-Energy
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Peth, Bubnal, Mangle and Kuslewadi, Sangli district · Maharashtra
Shubham Dipak Gurav
Climate Resilient Agriculture Initiative, Integrating Agroforestry and Natural Farming
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Jhala, Harsil Valley and Saini, Dunda block, Uttarkashi · Uttarakhand
Shubham Panwar
Women-Led Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation for Nutrition and Livelihood in Rural Uttarkashi
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Bilaspur · Chhattisgarh
Swapnil Chaurasiya
Behavioural Nudges for Urban Climate Action: A Student-Led Solid Waste Management Model for Bilaspur City
-
Delhi
Taniya Gill
Rooted in Our Land: A Visual Toolkit on Native Plants and Climate Adaptation
-
Salmora and Karatipar, Majuli · Assam
Tanuz Kalita
Indigenous Youth Led Habitat Restoration for Climate Resilience in Majuli
-
Moradabad · Uttar Pradesh
Tawheed Zubair
ECONOVA (For Nature, For People)