1.

Project Background

Ground water plays an important role in satisfying the water need of country in rural as
well as in urban areas. In the sector of agriculture, it has an immense importance as it
satisfies 60% of the country’s irrigation needs and on the other hand it is a major source
of drinking water in rural and urban pockets of India. 85% of rural drinking water needs
and 50% of urban drinking water needs are depended on groundwater. This leads to an
uncalculated pumping of groundwater through different mediums and most of the
farmers are not aware about the fact that the level of ground water is going down and its
sources are limited. This is creating stress on many of the parts of country and such
issues are observed in most of the states where ground water exploitation is high. To
address these issues many times the efforts have been introduced by government but
the success of such initiatives is observed in very few areas and the reason of this can
be related to low participation of community. Restoration of groundwater level and its
maintenance is a long term process and thus people’s participation becomes necessary
to achieve it.

For achieving expected outcomes, it is necessary to have a holistic approach where it is

important to consider water in all its manifestations. To increase awareness about this
scenario first there is need to have proper data regarding to current status of
groundwater level and to disseminate that data among the people. A proper
arrangement and a strategy is required for making people to participate, plan and
execute. There is need of suitable interventions in this context and they should ideally
focus on managing water demand, adequately supported by activities aimed at
improving supply and other measures directly or indirectly supporting good water
governance. To implement these interventions successfully all stakeholders, need to
come forward actively participate into it.

2. Development Support Centre

Development Support Centre (DSC) was established in the year 1994, in response to
the demand from various eminent individuals and stakeholders concerned with rural
development in Gujarat and other needy areas in the country. Presently DSC is chaired
by Shri. O.P. Rawat, Ex- Chief Election Commissioner, GOI. DSC aims to enhance the
livelihoods of rural communities’ especially small and marginal farmers and women in
rainfed and irrigated areas of India by facilitating and strengthening village institutions
and. It also provides knowledge-based support to Community Based Organizations,
NGOs, Government, CSRs, and Academic Institutions to develop people-centric
policies and procedures in NRM and livelihoods. DSC is actively working for water
security and promoting Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), Watershed and
IWRM programs in more than 700 villages of 18 districts in four states i.e. Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan with more than 1.34 lakh Households.

3. Experience of DSC in Field of Groundwater Management

Development Support Centre hasbeen implementing Management of Aquifer and

Village Level Recharge Initiatives (MARVI) in selected Gram Panchayats of Meghraj
block, Aravalli district Gujarat in collaboration with Western Sydney University-
Australia, CSIRO land and water management, Arid Communities and
technologies(ACT),Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology(MPUAT),
and Vidya Bhawan Krishi Vigyan Kendra(VBKVK).A number of MARVI outputs have
attracted significant interest from the Government of India, State Governments of
Rajasthan and Gujarat and the World Bank. In particular, the BJ training and
participatory process to assist cooperative management of groundwater are field tested
and ready for extended out scaling across India. The methods involve groundwater data
collection at village level, a methodology to estimate groundwater recharge from simple
measurements and a smart phone app (MyWell) for collecting and visualizing
groundwater, rainfall and check dam data for village level decision making for
groundwater use and management. A similar project on IWRM has been implemented
in 22 villages of Dharoi, Guhai and Mazum Irrigation schemes command area in water
scarce regions of North Gujarat during 2012 to 2019.

In November-2020, MARVI partners and Ministry of Jal Shakti had an MOU for
collaboration in Capacity Building, Research and Development and Making Impact
forSustainable Groundwater Management in the country. At present, MARVI partners
are engaging with Ministry of Jal Shakti for capacity building of stakeholders at
grassroots level in states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The project has benefited all the project stakeholders including the community through
development of a new cadre of BhujalJankars, well monitoring tools and techniques,
user friendly methods of water budgeting, formation of SujalSamities and Ground Water
Cooperative for preparing and implementing village water security plans etc.

4. Methodology and Project Implementation Strategy

The project is aiming to make sensitize to community on the importance of water

resource in rural economy and food security and bring a chance on its recharge and
consumption. At very primarily the assignment will work to disseminate and built
knowledge on groundwater and its sources, degree of exploitation practice by the
community, and what is purpose of the project. The community will be bring together
along with all the potential existing stakeholders, GPs, CBOs, and village level
government stakeholders to develop the capacity to perform the project planning,
implementation and carry out the post implementation stages. The local government
stakeholders and CBOs also expected to develop Village Security Plan (WSP) with the
participation of the community by mounting the literacy on existing government
schemes on water security and implementation at maximum dense, and will also ensure
to demonstrate and mobilization adaptation of practice technologies of efficient water
use. To keep all these efforts on track, it will develop a system to record groundwater
data at village level with GPs to support DPMU on analysis and to disseminate the
village level back. The project will develop its best approach methodologies, lessons
learned and great outcomes to replicate further.

The project will adopt the flow of action approach to its methodology of implementation
are following:

4.1. Baseline Study & Inception, Concept Seeding & Community

Mobilization
The project will consider a defined baseline by consultation with DPMU and develop an
inception document by undertaking rapid assessment and field research to identify the
potential areas of action at the very primary stage. The approach will practice a
thorough concentrated concept seeding methodology to the community through IEC,
BCC, orientation meetings, workshops, rallies, Aaoaj Dey and documentary films by
mobilizing the maximum community to disseminate project objectives.

4.2. Building Sustainable Community-Based Organizations / Institutions

The approach model will practice community-based institution model approach as

Household Women Groups (HWGs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), sFarmers Producer
Groups (FPGs), Water Users Groups (WUGs), and Youth Groups (YGs) but not
individual approach to ensure long-term sustainability, in addition to promoting the
concept community ownership, self-reliance, and good governance, and to enable them
to perform collective planning, investment, operation and monitoring.

4.3. Training, Capacity Building, and Groom the Stakeholders (Community,

GPs, CBOs) to Perform with Project Interventions with Competent

The project will develop the training modules for each targeted stakeholders
(Community, GPs, and CBOs) to consume the project components and execute the
expected roles and responsibilities to demonstrate the desire outcomes. As the project
expected a sustainable model of intervention practices that required growth and
development of quality performance by the community and involved stakeholders. And
to ensure that state the approach of training will be continuously bedding throughout the
project timeline.

4.4. Gender as a Cross- Cutting Theme of Community Managed Sustainable

Groundwater Management

The project will practice greater equality of gender roles and participation in its practice.
It will ensure greater participation of community women in all aspects of the project
operation such as planning and decision, investment, implementation execution and
monitoring. The model will enable women and men to collaborate and work together by
taking strategic decisions at household level and farm level water consumption
exploitation and practice both. The project will focus deeply on building Women's
Leadership and ensure excellence of community women.

4.5. Monitoring & Evaluation Term Planning

The project will develop a monitoring strategy to examine the progress of the
interventions and also to document lessons learned. In addition to the monthly and
annual reports developed by the project staff based upon a set of pre-identified
progressive indicators, the project will organize semi-annual and annual meetings with
the community to generate feedback, facilitate planning and promote people’s
participation. This will be a two-way approach for the achievement of effective results
and ensure community ownership of the activities undertaken. Further, project visits will
be undertaken by senior organizational staff and government agency representatives on
regular basis.

5. Work Outline of the Project

5.1. Data (Primary and Secondary) for Baseline

Collection of secondary data from validated existing records (GPs, agriculture

departments, irrigation departments, MGNREGA departments, Central Ground Water
Board and Census etc.) on from field on ground water, surface water, agriculture
irrigation and cropping pattern, spatial analysis, and household consumption and
generates primary data through PRA, FGDs, village meetings. These data will be
analyzed and to be utilized for gap assessment to asses demand side and supply side
water recourse in the village to develop Baseline Format at very beginning with the
facilitation guidance of DPMU.

5.2. Promotion of People Institutions and Performance

Institutions are the foundation of any kind of governance; be it water or administrative.

Household Women Groups (HWGs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmers Groups (FGs),
Water Users Groups (WUGs), and Youth Groups (YGs) will be promoted at village level
to ensure collective planning and participation. HWGs will be formed by the household
women to bring a practice change on over exploitation of daily water uses at individual
level. SHG will participate to secure zero exploitation of water from public water
collection points and will also participate actively on village water budgeting. FGs will
work on practicing water efficient agriculture method technology practices, WUGs to
take care of common water harvest structures i.e. tanks, ponds, canals, open wells etc.
and YGs primarily will work on ground water literacy.

5.3. Capacity Building of GPs, and CBOs

The project will consider GPs as the fast point of formalized mainstream platform and
Standing Water Committee as base human resource capital. The project will work on
bring back all these committees from dormant state with excellent mentorship to
perform institution arrangement for water governance, which can raise issues related to
water in Gram Sabha and can perform all the legal, institutions, and political situations.

GPs and CBOs be trained form all the 20 villages under the project and emphasis will
be given on their capacity building with intensive training on various modules, i.e. Vision
Building, Water Governance, Community Water Resource Development and
Management, Water Budgeting and Village Water Security Plan to enhance their ability
to manage the water resource and to pull financial and physical capital from various
schemes of state and central govt. with professional competent.

5.4. Ground Cadre – Bhujal Jankars

The person will be identified from the same villages (graduate in geography, geology,
engineering or having basic technical knowledge) will be trained as Bhujal Jankars on
required field of subjects i.e. Water Planning and Management, Hydrogeology, Geo-
Morphology of the area, Aquifer, Water Resource Inventory, Mapping and
Measurements, Identification of Recharge and Discharge Zones, Preparation of
Thematic Maps, Preparation of Village Water Balance and Water Budget with map
based Water Resource Development Plan to handhold Panchayats for Preparing Water
Security Plan (WSP).
 5.5. Demonstration Adaptation of Water Efficient Practices

The practice of water efficient method technologies will be introduced to commercial

agriculture to increase the maximum water use efficiency and yield return with requires
water resources. The community will receive technical knowledge support and other
government schemes convergence for implementing these techniques. The project will
approach Agriculture Extension of advanced farm practices i.e. SRI, SWI, INM, IPM,
Drip vum Mulching, raise Bed Method etc. through Farmer Groups (FGs).

Water quality and quantity measurement will be carried out in such plots to differentiate
water use of both conventional and new set of practices. Onfarm training of farmers will
be organized on the demonstration plots for awareness generation and disseminate the
results/benefits of such practices to boost adoption of water smart agriculture practices.
Adoption of such practices will increase community awareness on current water-crop
productivity and required corrections and control.

5.6. Preparation and Development of Village WSPs

The data from baseline will be considered as base for GPs to develop Water Security
Plan (WSP), and Cost Estimation along with DPMU by seeking approval by SPMU and
Gram Sabha.Every Gram Pranchayats (GPs) will develop a book – “Blue Book” to
record groundwater data and special structure, common water resource assets at
village level. The book will be updated periodically and considered as a sole document
of village development in future.

Exercises with community during Capacity building activities and hydro geological data
collected by Bhujal Jankars will help to bring out water balance (surplus/water deficit) in
each of the village by quantification of available water resource and actual Demand to
Water Budgeting to develop Water Security Plan (WSP).

The WSP will be revised on a term basis on the basis on project intervention and
generated data from ground by the approval of Gram Sabha every time, will disclosed in
public domain by placing on public notice board in GP.
The activities proposed in the WSP will be tried to implement in the 10 model villages,
mainly through convergence among various ongoing schemes with the active
involvement of local communities and other stakeholders. The activities under village
water security plan will be integrated in Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP)
and shall be put before Gram Sabha for approval. The GPs will submit the plans to
Talluka Panchaayat and Jila Panchayts to leverage funds from various line department
of state and central govt. The proposed activities will take care of drinking, domestic and
for irrigation.

5.7. Practice of Project Sustainability& Walkout

The project emphasized the Development and Strengthening of Community Based

Organizations (CBOs) / People Institutions (PIs), which are the base of the foundation's
sustainability. The project will begin with a withdrawal strategy from day one onwards to
practically facilitate the community to own resources and act accordingly. The promoted
people institutions will have the high managerial and technical capability by the end of
the project to undertake planning, product development, pool resources, implementation
and share collective benefits. The project believes in strengthening the skills of the
community in sustainably managing resources and this will be achieved by intensive
capacity-building programs organized during the term of the project.

5.8. Project Documentation/ Workshops and Conference

The progressive indicators, identified during the baseline, will be used to compare the
project outcomes. Case studies, best practices, lessons learned and other information,
including gender-disaggregated data will be carefully documented and presented in the
final report and national level workshop and conference.

Workshops campaigns and conference will be organized at block and level for
sensitizing the community, educational institutions and govt. and non-government
organizations about the importance of developing and executing WSP and effective use
of ground water etc. The DSC will play role of host and will bring different knowledge
institutions, academia, and district govt. authorities on board, and different level of govt.
offices will provide information about the probable activities that can be undertaken with
their respective govt. schemes.

6. Degree of Expected Outcomes

 The project will be implemented in 50 GPs where the focus will be given on
formation of strong community institutions for ensuring effective management of
ground water through improved participation of community.
 A proper data collection process will be ensured in all project villages and a habit
of documentation and update of collected data will be developed among all GPs.
 Around 100 SHGs will be involved in the process where minimum 2 members
from each SHG will be groomed by building their capacity through knowledge
and trainings for disseminating the knowledge of ground water management
among other villages.
 Household Women Groups (HWGs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmers Groups
(FGs), Water Users Groups (WUGs), and Youth Groups (YGs) will be promoted
at village level.
 Gram Panchayats (GPs) will develop a book – “Blue Book” to record ground
water data at village level as a sole document.
 50 village level Para Professionals will be trained as Para Hydro-Geologists who
will support the respective GPs for planning the Water Budgeting.
 GIS mapping of water resources will be done for all the project villages.
 All included panchayats will have their Water Security Plans (WSP) and relevant
data will be disseminated in community.
 50% of the selected village community will be practicing water efficient crop
management and reduce the irrigation water exploitation at 30%.
 Increased per drop productivity on per drop irrigation water, and 10% increase in
agriculture production.
 Adoption of suitable farming practices to maintain soil health & productivity, water
quality, and ecological balance by marginal-small farmers.
 The project will ensure to bring the practice of conscious consumption of water at
household level.
 Gender dimensions will be focused by involving women in management of water
resources in agriculture and at household level.