Established in 1974, Navinchandra Mafatlal Sadguru Water Development Foundation is a non-governmental organisationwhich is non-political, non-profit making, secular organisation registered under the Public Charitable Trust Act, the Societies Registration Act (1860) and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. It is recognised by the Department of Rural Development of the government of 3 states of Rajasthan, Gujurat and Madhya Pradesh. The organisation is receiving funds from the state and central government, national and international funding agencies for its rural/tribal poverty alleviation NRM programs.

Its main objectives are to improve the living condition of rural and tribal prople by developing environmentally sound land and water resources programmes; improve the environment; arrest the distress migration; improve the socio-ecomonic status of rural prople and strve for their overall development. This is prompted by facilitating the growth of local institutions that support and sustain the NRM Programmes.

The project area is classified as a drought prone semi-arid region of th ecountry and is pre dominated by tribal and rural poor who are poorest of the poor struggling for their very existance.the project area is spread accross 3 states in 5 districts of Rajasthan, Gujurat and Madhya pradesh, covering approximately more than 1,30,000 lacs households and about 7,75,000 people in more than 500 villages under NRM activities.

Presently, SADGURU has an active presence in the tribal areas of three states, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the contiguous districts of, Dahod, Panchmahals, Banswara, Jhalawar and Jhabua. More than 550 villages have been touched under various program interventions by SADGURU. Another 125 villages have been helped by other NGOs with SADGURU’s support.

In addition to the direct implementation, technical and training inputs are regularly provided to government departments and NGOs in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh etc.

The visible poverty among the masses and relative backwardness were the major criteria for Sadguru selecting specific areas.