They call him the Waterman of India - but to the thousands of villages he’s helped, Dr. Rajendra Singh is simply the man who brought water, and hope, back home.

Nearly forty years ago, Dr. Singh walked away from a secure career as an Ayurvedic doctor. Because he heard a cry that medicine alone couldn’t answer. In the heart of Rajasthan, he listened - not to machines, but to the sound of cracked earth, the silence of dried-up wells, the pain in the eyes of families who had waited too long for rain.

In 1985, with nothing but belief and borrowed wisdom, he founded Tarun Bharat Sangh - an NGO that would go on to change the face of rural water management in India. With simple, traditional water harvesting techniques - Johads (traditional earthen ponds used to collect and store rainwater), check dams (small barriers built across streams to slow water flow and recharge groundwater), and bunds (raised embankments built to control water flow and prevent soil erosion) - he helped revive 11 rivers, including the once-dead Arvari. Water flowed again. And where water flowed, life followed.

Farming returned. Forests healed. Birds sang. Women could rest. Children laughed. Over 1,000 villages stood tall again - not because someone saved them, but because someone believed in them. For this, he received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2015 - the Nobel of water. But ask him, and he’ll tell you - the greatest reward is the sound of a river flowing again.

“To truly save water,” he says gently, “we must return to the wisdom of the land.”

That wisdom lives in ancient rice. That’s where ancient rice varieties come in - in his eyes, the resurgence of ancient rice varieties is part of this larger solution. These varieties, once the foundation of India’s agriculture, are much more than just a crop. They represent a bond between farming and nature, one that modern hybrid varieties are losing. Dr. Singh understands the value these ancient grains bring, not just for their nutritional and cultural significance, but for their ability to conserve water in ways that high-yielding crops cannot.

“Many traditional rice varieties were grown with minimal water, in sync with the natural water cycles,” Dr. Singh reflects. “Unlike the hybrid varieties that demand constant irrigation, these ancient grains thrive on rainwater, using water efficiently, and respecting the land they are grown on.”

For centuries, communities have cultivated rice varieties that are perfectly suited to their local ecosystems. These varieties have been passed down through generations, not only because of their flavour but because they are resilient – resilient to drought, pests, and the changing environment. They grew in harmony with nature, unlike the water-intensive hybrid crops that often deplete natural resources.

As climate change begins to alter rainfall patterns and water scarcity becomes more of an issue, these ancient rice varieties are proving their worth. They hold the key to a sustainable future, one where agriculture doesn’t deplete water resources but works with them.

This is where Swah comes into play. Swah is not just promoting a product; they are supporting a cause that aligns perfectly with Dr. Singh’s vision of sustainable farming. By reviving ancient rice varieties, Swah is creating a bridge between the wisdom of the past and the demands of the future. They are helping bring these water-efficient crops back into the market, making them accessible once again.

In this resurgence, Dr. Singh sees hope - hope for a future where the earth’s natural resources are respected and conserved. It’s not just about rice; it’s about reviving a system that has been in place for centuries, a system where farming, water, and the environment thrive together in harmony. And in this mission, Swah is playing a crucial role, helping to ensure that these ancient rice varieties continue to nourish the land – and the people – for generations to come.