Online Training: Know Your Urban Aquifer

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites applications for its online training targeted at understanding the subject of groundwater management and mapping.

Officially, 80 per cent of a city’s supply in India is supposed to be dependent on surface water sources; but this figure is misleading as there is no record of how much water cities extract to meet their demand. Private groundwater resources supplement public water supply and become the substitute where supply fails. People either dig wells and tubewells on their properties for their water needs or buy water from private tankers that, in turn, extract groundwater for sale. The situation is no different in other cities of the Global South.

Over-dependence on groundwater is leading to plummeting groundwater levels, pushing cities towards a Day Zero scenario when all their water sources may dry up. The situation is especially alarming because no city has done an aquifer mapping or has any understanding of its recharge and discharge status. Not all parts of a city may suffer from depleting groundwater levels. Recharging of groundwater should be matched with its discharge and the location of this discharge -- a mindless recharge initiative in areas which have high groundwater levels could have catastrophic consequences for the built environment.

THE COURSE CONTENT

• Evolution and growth of Indian cities, their built-up areas, and patterns of development
• Hydro-geological typologies of India l Groundwater estimation methodologies in India
• Principles of groundwater recharge
• Basics of mapping aquifers at the city level
• Case study of city aquifer mapping
• Planning for urban groundwater recharge
• Monitoring -- urban water balance

COURSE COORDINATOR

VIVEK KUMAR SAH
Programme officer, Water Programme
Mobile: +91 9708887214
Email: vivek.sah@cseindia.org