Bridgestone and ADRA India Restore Education and Sanitation for 697 Children effected by the 2025 Floods in Punjab
Project rehabilitates 20 government schools and provides learning kits to marginalized students in Gurdaspur
Following the catastrophic floods that swept through Punjab in August 2025, Bridgestone and ADRA India have rehabilitated 20 government schools in Gurdaspur. Floodwaters had severely damaged school infrastructure, particularly sanitation facilities, while thousands of children lost textbooks, stationery, and uniforms, delaying their return to classrooms.
Under the three-month project implemented between October 2025 and January 2026, ADRA India worked in close coordination with the District Disaster Management Authority, local administration, School Management Committees, and community representatives to identify the most affected government schools. In Gurdaspur alone, over 324 villages were submerged, disrupting essential services and forcing prolonged school closures.
“Following the floods that affected Dera Baba Nanak Sub-Division, several government schools suffered damage to essential infrastructure, particularly Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) facilities, resulting in disruption to the education of school-going children. The restored sanitation infrastructure has helped ensure a safe, hygienic, and dignified learning environment for students, especially for girl students,” said Dr Aaditya Sharma, IAS, SDM Dera Baba Nanak.
“Bridgestone is committed towards Serving Society with Superior Quality. This inspires us to offer the best to the communities that we serve. Education is a critical pillar for communities, and this was most impacted by the floods. We have, in our humble way, contributed towards restoring some of the educational facilities in the Dera Baba Nanak block thus safeguarding learning and well-being when vulnerable communities needed it the most” said Sudhir Kulkarni, Executive Director HR, Admin. & CSR, Bridgestone India.
The intervention led to the repair and rehabilitation of damaged toilets and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) facilities in 12 government schools, directly benefiting around 697 children by restoring access to safe and functional sanitation facilities.
Additionally, education kits were distributed to 585 of the most marginalized children, prioritising those from families of daily wage earners, migrant households, women-headed families, and socially excluded communities. The kits helped replace learning materials lost during the floods, enabling children to resume schooling without placing additional financial pressure on already distressed families.
“In post-disaster settings like Dera Baba Nanak, children are among the most vulnerable. Restoring safe and functional WASH facilities in schools is not just about infrastructure, it is about protecting children’s health, dignity, and right to learn. When sanitation and hygiene are compromised, the risks of illness increase and school dropouts become more likely, especially for girls. Through the School WASH project, we are ensuring that schools become safe, hygienic spaces again, enabling children to return, stay, and thrive in their education,” said Imran Majid, Programmes Director, ADRA India.
The project emphasised sustainability and community ownership. School Management Committees were engaged throughout the process and oriented on basic maintenance of sanitation facilities to ensure continued use beyond the project period. Repair works incorporated durability measures to better withstand future flooding, strengthening the resilience of school infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
This project reflects the “Empowerment”, “Ease”, “Emotion” values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment,* which outline Bridgestone’s corporate commitment to contributing to a society that ensures accessibility and dignity for all (Empowerment), to bringing comfort and peace of mind to mobility life (Ease), inspiring excitement and spreading joy to the world of mobility (Emotion). Through initiatives like these, Bridgestone continues to advance its mission of “Serving Society with Superior Quality” by driving positive change and building safer, more inclusive communities across India.
About Bridgestone India:
Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd, a group company of Bridgestone Corporation, started its operations in 1996. In March 1998 with the setup of its manufacturing facility in Kheda, Madhya Pradesh, Bridgestone achieved its objective of running Indian manufactured Bridgestone tyreson Indian Roads. It expanded its facilities by setting up one more facility in Chakan, Pune in 2013. The Indore plant rolled out its 100 million tyre in 2023. In a short stint of more than 25 years, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd has become one of the leading tyre companies in both the OEM & Replacement market.
About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 130,000 people globally and conducts business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
*The Bridgestone Group established its corporate commitment, the "Bridgestone E8 Commitment," to help it realize its vision: "Toward 2050, Bridgestone continues to provide social value and customer value as a sustainable solutions company." This commitment will serve as the Group's axis to drive management while earning the trust of future generations. The "Bridgestone E8 Commitment" consists of eight unique Bridgestone values starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) that the Group will commit to creating through distinctly Bridgestone purposes and processes, together with employees, society, partners, and customers to to help realize a sustainable society.
About ADRA India
ADRA is a global humanitarian organisation working in more than 107 countries, delivering relief and development assistance without discrimination based on ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, or religion. In India, ADRA has been supporting vulnerable communities for nearly three decades. Registered in 1992 as a Society, ADRA India implements humanitarian and development programmes across public health, education, livelihoods, emergency response, and protection, working closely with local communities, civil society organisations, and government institutions to deliver contextually relevant interventions and strengthen local capacity for sustainable change.