Most SDG and CSR projects are judged by what they build. Judge us by what stays in balance afterwards: water in the ground, trees alive, a village running its own commons.
The gap we fill
1.7
Earths
Humanity uses about 1.7 Earths of nature a year. Earth Overshoot Day 2026 fell on 30 July. Source: Global Footprint Network.
Targets count what is built, rarely what is drawn. Few plans limit how much water, soil or energy a project uses up, so gains drain away: a desilted tank runs dry, saplings die in the second summer.
We add the missing check. Our Panchabootham five-element lens reads every project for what it takes from and gives back to water, earth, air, fire and space. Not against growth; growth at Earth's recovery pace.
Why partner with us
A typical project
With Agastheeshwarar Trust
Where it starts
A scheme looking for a site
A village diagnosis, so money goes to the real imbalance
What is measured
Tanks desilted, saplings planted
Net balance: recharge vs withdrawal, trees alive in year two
Which side
Adds supply: more water, more power
Adds supply and cuts over-use, so the gain is not drained away
After handover
Asset passes on and often decays
A user committee with fair-share rules keeps it running
Your report
Activities and spend
A before-and-after element ledger, re-measured every year
Our role
Another implementer for the same funds
Inside your programme, adding volunteers, local trust, evidence
Domains
Domain · element
Typical work
SDGs
Water security Water · நீர்
Tank revival with user committees, recharge, water budgets
61113
Land and living systems Earth, Air · மண் · காற்று
Native trees with survival counts, reuse, zero waste
121315
Health and wellbeing Fire, all five · தீ
Health camps, heat and clean-air awareness
313
Knowledge and awareness Space, mind · ஆகாயம்
School clubs, seminars, traditional knowledge
41217
Sharing and inclusion All five
Food and education support, with partners
1210
Services you can engage us for
1Five-element diagnosisBaseline and element ledger for a village
2Project assessmentA renewal check on projects you already run or plan
3Solution designShort and long-term plans with residents
4Community executionVolunteer circles and user committees that carry the work
5Commons governanceFair-share rules for tanks, groves and shared spaces
6Evidence and reportingBefore-and-after measures, outcome and impact reports
Scope
Where
Tamil Nadu, starting in Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur
Scale
Household to village, panchayat, then district
Fits with
District SDG cells, panchayat plans, state missions, Mission LiFE
For
All, without distinction of caste, religion, race or sex
Live well. Enable others to live well. Use resources wisely. Regenerate what sustains life.
How we work and how to partner: overleaf
Lifecycle
One cycle, six stages, measured every year
Each cycle runs from one pre-monsoon to the next, and its closing ledger becomes the next baseline, so progress is checked against real numbers.
1Diagnose Walk the village with residents; map water, soil, air, heat and open space.You receive: five-element baseline and element ledger
2Assess Rank each imbalance by severity and reach; confirm ownership and permissions.You receive: ranked priorities with approvals needed
3Design Quick fixes now, long-term solutions, and fair-share rules agreed with users.You receive: costed plan, owners and measures
4Act Village committee, our volunteers and your team deliver, tracked monthly.You receive: action log and expenditure statements
5Review Re-measure the ledger after the season: what moved, what did not.You receive: outcome report against the baseline
6Impact What lasted, what spread, what to replicate next.You receive: annual impact note and the next cycle's baseline
Governance built in
G1Consent firstPanchayat informed, residents consent, data kept private
G2Lawful mandateEvery activity within the Trust's registered objects
G3Owner's permissionOwner or authority's written approval before work on water bodies or common land
G4Lawful fundsWritten MoU; each fund used only for its purpose
G5Open booksApproved budgets, no private benefit, audited accounts
Status: registered public charitable trust. 12A and 80G registration applied for. CSR-1 registration in progress; until it is complete we engage CSR teams as knowledge and community partners.
How an engagement runs
Discovery callYour goals, area, timeline
Scoping visitOne village or ward
DiagnosisBaseline and ledger
Joint planRoles, budget, written MoU
DeliveryWith the community
EvidenceOutcome and impact report
What each partner gains
Government
Community participation and upkeep for schemes you fund, such as Kudimaramath and Green Tamil Nadu, plus a renewal check for panchayat plans.
Corporates
CSR spend with a lasting, measured result, reported in the water, energy and waste terms BRSR reports already use.
Partners
NGOs, colleges and researchers get a live field site, open measured data and an organised community.
First pilot
Panchetti village tank, Tiruvallur district. A village water project: measure recharge against withdrawal, restore the tank as a reservoir for the water table, and revive a user committee with fair-share rules. Judge us on it: the baseline and the one-year ledger will be shared with partners.
Let's talk about your goals
Tell us the area and outcome you want; we will reply with a scoping note for one village or ward.
info@agastheeswarartrust.org admin@agastheeswarartrust.org No. 8/198, Eswaran Kovil Street, Nedungundram, Chennai 600127
agastheeswarartrust.org
Agastheeswarar Arapani Arakattalai, a registered public charitable trustPanchabootham ideas are offered as concepts worth testing, alongside mainstream science
