Rules of the game defined at the PRI Level

• Groundwater pumping
• Deepening/new drilling of bore wells
• Water security for farmers in water distress
• Water sharing norms to prevent new drilling/ deepening
• Water conservation
• Prevent borewells from going defunct
• Monitoring water quality
• Crop changes
• Food security and nutrition

Groundwater Monitoring through PRI

• PRI – closest administrative unit accessible to all well owners
• GP the lead agency
• Funds from Government
• Ownership of infrastructure, data with GP
• VWSC to interphase with GMC and expanded to include all different stake holders
• GP Federation at Block Panchayat (HUN) and district (ZP)

Hydrological Monitoring network

• Strengthen/upgrade the existing hydrological monitoring network.
• Monitor all the components: Groundwater, Surface water, Drinking Water, Other water use
• Primary
• Rain-gauge
• Stream Gauge
• Groundwater Level
• Groundwater Pumping
• Irrigation Water Use (individual crop)
• Drinking Water (Piped Water Supply Scheme)
• Soil Moisture
• Evaporation
• Evapotranspiration

Establishment of Hydrological Monitoring Network

Monitor all the components: Groundwater, Surface water, Drinking Water, Other water use Secondary

• Census Data
• GP Data- Water, Health,  Nutrition
• Weather Data from Mandal HQ
• Data from Ground Government departments,
• Agriculture data
• Whole sale, Retail Market Price

Water Audit for improved water governance

• Identify reasons for water scarcity
• Develop Solutions to manage risks cutting across sectors 
  1. Crop Water Balance- Groundwater Estimation in partnership GWD, Agriculture
  2. Surface Water Balance in partnership with MI department
  3. Drinking Water –Demand & Supply- in partnership with PHE
  4. Other Critical Water use- Agriculture, others
• Implement the water audit at GP level
• New Knowledge leading to behavioural change 

Self-Regulating Groundwater Development through PRI

• PRI  trained in data collection, analysis, interpretation through Farmer Water Schools
• PRI analyze monitoring  data at Block Panchayat (federation of 5 GP) for estimating groundwater budget
• Advise well owners on best groundwater development practiced (forecast risks associated with various crop plans)
• Implement sustainable crop plans and efficient drinking water supply
• Counsel well-users against over-abstraction, improved water-use efficiency
• Canvas groundwater sharing approaches
• Enforce groundwater regulations on defaulters
• Prevent borewells from going defunct
  1. Improve efficiency, O&M; Reduce over-use; Manage pumps and wells
• Control deepening or drilling of new wells
  1. New knowledge leading  to  reduced water well construction
  2. Prevent contamination of water
  3. Improve sanitation; Prevent industrial disposal of effluents; Reduce inorganic fertilizer pesticide usage
  4. Conserving water locally
  5. Integrate with watershed programme; Rain water, Roof water harvesting; Artificial recharge; Basin scale recharge
  6. Crop diversity
  7. Maximize Crop diversity
  8. Distribute water demand across multiple crops

Governance

• Participation (inclusiveness of all stakeholders)
• Fairness (rules apply equally; equitable distribution of resource)
• Decency/ Dignity (responsive, consensus)
• Accountability—for what they say and do
• Transparency—clarity and openness
• Efficiency & Effectiveness (without unnecessary waste, delay or corruption)

Two-tier Management Framework

• 1 Gram Panchayat with 5 habitations – Micro Watershed
• 5 Gram Panchayats – 1 Block Panchayat – 1 Drainage Unit
• Data collection (each GP)
  1. 1 Drinking well data-water level, quality, discharge data (real time automated)
  2. 10 Irrigation well data- water level, water quality, discharge, irrigation, crop water use
  3. Soil Moisture Data – using Bio indicators
• Data collection (Federation of 5 GP)
  1. Crop water budget
  2. Stream Flow
  3. Crop water economics- economic output per unit water

Farmers Producer Organization at Block Panchayat level

• Farmers Interest Groups around similar crops
• Input sourcing and output aggregation
• Establish community warehouses
• Promote organic farming & certification
• Promote Water Smart Agriculture (more crop per drop)
• Promote climate resilient /drought resilient crops