In a pioneering step towards tackling water scarcity, WaterBANK Foundation, in partnership with WHEELS Global Foundation (Global Giving back platform of Pan IIT community), has launched the BarterWATER initiative in Bihar’s Ara district. This ground-breaking barter-based water economy was inaugurated in Pakri village on Feb 16, 2025, with the first WaterBANK unit, offering a sustainable and community-driven model for water access to rural communities.
BarterWATER: A Sustainable Revolution in Water Access
The initiative in Bihar’s Ara district introduces a barter-based water economy, using Rainbow Credits to incentivize sustainable water use while tackling arsenic contamination.
1. Mechanism & Indigenous Arsenic Solution
The BarterWATER initiative is based on an innovative incentive system that rewards efforts in community action with Rainbow Credits. These credits can be redeemed for clean drinking water from OAS Spring units or exchanged for essential nature-based goods and services, fostering a culture of responsible water use at the grassroots level.
In addition to the innovative ‘barter-for-impact’ model, the solution is deploying pioneering research from IIT-Kharagpur to tackle Arsenic contamination in the water sources using commonly found laterite mineral for binding and safe disposal of Arsenic. Arsenic has had a devastating health impact on communities across at least eight States in North India, where communities lack affordable and easy-to-deploy solutions and suffer from high cancer rates.
WHEELS and its sister entity WIN Foundation joined hands two years ago to support the pilot of this innovative technology along with an equally transformative business model.
“Water is the basis of local-sustainable Ecology. Let it be the basis of local-sustainable Economy.”
2. Real-World Barter Matrix (Rainbow Credits)
Communities earn verified Rainbow Credits through positive environmental contributions, which can be directly converted into vital utility infrastructure and clean water:
3. Technological Backbone & Key Partners
Several key players have contributed to the initiative’s technological backbone, ensuring the success and scalability of the BarterWATER mission:
Enabled solar-powered automation to energize OAS Spring and DigitAPP (TAP@APP) technology.
Developed the OAS water purification technology for clean water access.
Founded by Saket Kumar, spearheading the commercialization and implementation of the technology.
Officially endorsed the mission for broader policy support.
Conducting impact assessments through the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore.
4. Institutional Support & Recognition
The BarterWATER mission has received rigorous backing and accreditation across national ministries and international development organizations:
National Bamboo Mission (Govt. of India)
Facilitating bamboo-based infrastructure for WaterBANK expansion.
UNIDO Global Clean-Tech
Supported scaling OAS technology from lab to industry.
UNICEF
Backed the initiative’s pilot phase.
Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Financed OAS technology development under its Water-Mission initiative.
Indian Innovators Association
Listed OAS technology among India’s top 100 innovations.
5. Global Alignment
This mission aligns with the United Nations Decade for Action Agenda (2018-2028) and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030). By integrating clean water access with an eco-conscious economic system, the initiative empowers rural communities while ensuring environmental sustainability.
