Groundwater Recharge

Featured Articles
July 11, 2022 The Chauka system of Rajasthan can not only provide a sustainable way to manage water resources in water stressed regions, but also support livelihoods through development of pastures.
Can greening of barren lands happen? (Image Source: India Water Portal Flickr photos)
April 26, 2022 The water stewardship initiative by WOTR that developed a tool to visualise aquifers has not only helped farmers understand groundwater as a shared resource, but also led to a behavioural change among water users and helped implement groundwater laws and policies.
Groundwater, a fast disappearing resource (Image Source: India Water Portal)
July 29, 2021 Experiences from participatory groundwater management efforts in Maharashtra
Unless work on managing the demand is undertaken, the notion of ‘infinite’ groundwater will be hard to address. (Image: Rucha Deshmukh, ACWADAM)
July 23, 2021 Improper location, poor operation and maintenance of water harvesting and recharge structures threaten water security in Yavatmal
A study assesses the current status of the water harvesting and recharge structures in Yavatmal (Image: India Water Portal Flickr)
March 23, 2021 Enhancing community based water resource management
Women are involved in the process of developing the water budget from a gender lens. (Image: Samerth)
February 23, 2021 Improving decision-making for sustainable groundwater use
Designing participatory processes to assist village level discovery and implementation of solutions for sustaining groundwater use and improved livelihoods (Image: MARVI)
In-house experts: the barefoot hydrogeologists of the Himalayan regions
A nation-wide effort to create a cadre of people with a sound understanding of their local geology and groundwater is resulting in people who know the rocks beneath as well as they know their fields! Posted on 05 Jun, 2014 03:46 PM

The fourteen women and three men were rapt as Pan-'da' explained the intricacies of Himalayan geology. Every now and then, a question would be asked. Pan-'da' would then create an impromptu geological model using a notebook or a whiteboard eraser to explain the concepts. This was essential because the audience had no prior background in geology. Only some of them were even literate.

Pan Singh explains the use of a clinometer
Simple ways to achieve water sufficiency
Rainwater harvesting is the easiest way to address the growing water scarcity that we are facing. Read on to find out what you can do at your home, office or apartment community. Posted on 27 May, 2014 09:18 PM

Fresh water found on land has only two primary sources - melting of ice, and rain. Harvesting rain is crucial for sustaining both the surface and sub-soil water sources.

Recharge well constructed in Chennai
Call for applications for training on groundwater science for civil society professionals, ACWADAM, Pune
The training and facilitation on basic hydrogeology is meant to enhance civil society's capabilities in watershed and groundwater management
Posted on 24 May, 2014 08:28 AM

Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) is
a not-for-profit organization working in earth sciences applications, particularly in
groundwater resources management. Know more about ACWADAM here

Tanks in Pune, Maharashtra
The Shirpur pattern: Is it groundwater therapy?
Three villages of the many that have adopted the Shirpur pattern in Maharashtra have different stories to tell. You decide if the model is working or not. Posted on 30 Apr, 2014 08:54 PM

The Shirpur pattern propogated by Suresh Khanapurkar has been widely criticised but also accepted by many villages in Maharashtra.

Shirpur structures in Eknath Wadi, Maharashtra
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Rainwater Harvesting (RWH)
Here is a simple guide to help understand rainwater harvesting better Posted on 23 Apr, 2014 12:53 AM

This simple guide lists out the most popular questions related to rainwater harvesting to help understand this important topic better.

Please click on a topic to view more detailed information.

Roof RWH system at Patkhori High School in Mewat
What do the numbers reveal about aquifers in India?
Using a motion chart, the behaviour of aquifers using rainfall and well-level data is explained. Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 10:54 PM

Groundwater is water that is stored underground in aquifers or rock layers than can absorb water. India gets 85% of all its drinking water from this source.   

Rainfall is an essential part of monitoring groundwater as it recharges the aquifer and brings groundwater levels up. Rainfall and well levels are important parameters for data collection.

Motion chart outputs
Alternative farming method in Karnal
No-till agriculture, an alternative farming method, which helps prevent soil depletion as well as uses water efficiently, is being used successfully by farmers in Haryana. Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 01:24 PM

Kalwaheri is a village of over thousand households comprising mostly of small farmers and landless people tucked away in Karnal, Haryana. The district, once the birth place of the Green Revolution, is now far from green.

 Seed-fertilizer drill in use at Kalwaheri village
Maharashtra reels under hail storms and unseasonal rainfall
News this month: Maharashtra faces the impact of climate change; Developing El Nino raises fear of a weak Indian monsoon; India's water crisis to worsen in the coming years, says UN. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 11:23 PM

Maharashtra reels under hail storms

Unseasonal rainfall in Mumbai (Source: Wikipedia)
Catch water when it falls
Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling are simple steps to achieve water sufficiency. India Water Portal along with local partners spread this message in Chennai on World Water Day. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:24 PM

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A temple tank in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
The water-energy nexus
Meerut celebrated World Water Day with speakers talking about the connection between the two topics. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:20 PM

The theme of this year’s World Water Day was “energy-water nexus”. It was almost as if the topic was chosen keeping Western Uttar Pradesh in mind because the conflict between water and energy users in agriculture and industry has heightened here in the recent past.

Rise of tubewells in western UP (Source: DTE)
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