The Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), a non-profit focused on sustainable water management and climate resilience, along with its research arm, the WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies (W-CReS), has implemented a community-led groundwater management initiative across 183 villages in Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha using its Community Driven Vulnerability Evaluation Visual Integrator (CoDriVE-VI) tool.
As part of this initiative, WOTR has conducted 39 on-ground training and capacity-building sessions in water-stressed regions where groundwater levels are declining rapidly and communities are heavily dependent on aquifers for their livelihoods.
The intervention is aimed at enabling communities to better understand, manage, and sustain their groundwater resources through a more scientific and collective approach.
A media statement said that the CoDriVE-VI tool plays a central role in this process by offering a 3D visual representation of a village’s surface landscape along with its underlying aquifer systems.
Through these visual models, communities are able to understand how groundwater is stored, how it flows, and how extraction in one location can impact water availability in neighbouring areas.
Working closely with farmers
WOTR and W-CReS teams work closely with farmers and local stakeholders to interpret these insights and translate them into actionable decisions.
Communities are guided to identify groundwater recharge zones, assess water availability and depletion trends, and collectively plan usage patterns. This has further led to the adoption of water-efficient irrigation practices, more informed crop planning, and the emergence of community-led groundwater management practices.
The statement said the initiative has already benefited over 1,310 farmers across 183 villages, contributing to an estimated 20 per cent improvement in groundwater availability and enhancing recharge capacity by approximately 20-30 per cent annually.
Quoting Ankita Yadav, Senior Researcher, W-CReS, the statement said: “Through CoDriVE-VI, we are enabling communities to better understand and manage groundwater as a shared resource, leading to more responsible usage and long-term water security. We are glad to have made a meaningful impact across 183 villages so far and remain committed to scaling this approach to strengthen climate resilience in more vulnerable regions.”
Published on May 6, 2026