Groundwater Resource Centre for South India

This is an initiative supported by Arghyam, Bangalore, for promoting Participatory Groundwater Management Principles and Practices in Natural Resource Management Project. WASSAN is anchoring this project in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of South India, with technical support from ACWADAM, Pune.

Project was built on the experiences gained during the implementation of the pilot activity – Andhra Pradesh Drought Adaptation Initiative (APDAI), National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP). In the initial phase of the project, focus was more on villages where WASSAN is functioning as Project Implementing Agency (PIA) under GoI/GoAP funded Integrated Watershed Management Projects (IWMP). These projects are being implemented in 30 villages in two districts of Andhra Pradesh, (Metalkunta mega watershed of Bomraspet mandal of Mahabubnagar district; Narayanapur mega watershed of Pargi mandal, Mothkur mega watershed of Doma mandal of Rangareddy District). So far, baseline survey was completed in 23 villages for understanding the status of natural resources and the process is going on in 7 villages. To develop pool of resource persons for promoting Participatory Groundwater Management concepts in watershed management, it was proposed that several training programs would be conducted on relevant themes during the project period. The first training program in this series was conducted with the support of ACWADAM, Pune from 28th to 31st of March 2011.

As part of the project mandate, WASSAN is closely working with Commissionerate of Rural Development for enacting a new bill / act that ensures community based water resources regulations (mainly groundwater) in Andhra Pradesh.

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