WOTR Drives Community-Led Groundwater Management Across 183 Villages Using CoDriVE Tool

Pune, April 29, 2026: Watershed Organisation Trust, along with its research arm WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies, has implemented a community-led groundwater management initiative across 183 villages in Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha using its CoDriVE–Visual Integrator (CoDriVE-VI) tool.

The initiative focuses on strengthening groundwater management in water-stressed regions where communities rely heavily on aquifers. As part of the programme, WOTR conducted 39 training and capacity-building sessions to help local communities better understand groundwater systems and adopt sustainable usage practices.

The CoDriVE-VI tool provides a 3D visual representation of village landscapes and underlying aquifers, enabling communities to understand groundwater storage, flow patterns, and the impact of extraction. This approach supports informed decision-making around water usage, recharge planning, and crop selection.

Working closely with farmers and local stakeholders, WOTR teams have facilitated identification of groundwater recharge zones, assessment of depletion trends, and adoption of water-efficient irrigation practices. The initiative has reached over 1,310 farmers and contributed to an estimated 20% improvement in groundwater availability, along with a 20–30% annual increase in recharge capacity.

In villages such as Bhojdari and Mhaswandi, the intervention has led to collective actions including restrictions on new borewells, adoption of water budgeting practices, and maintenance of recharge structures through community participation.

Ms. Ankita Yadav, Senior Researcher, W-CReS, 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.”

The initiative reflects a shift in perception from groundwater as an individual asset to a shared resource requiring collective governance. This approach is considered critical in addressing increasing groundwater stress in India.

WOTR continues to expand its Water Stewardship Initiative across multiple states, focusing on community-led planning, conservation, and efficient water use to build long-term resilience.