Updates

Participatory Groundwater Management with Himanshu Kulkarni

Dr Kulkarni explains how participatory groundwater management (PGWM) evolved in India, and why aquifers must be treated as common pool resources.

Feb 17, 2026

In this episode of The Water Data Podcast, host Veena Srinivasan speaks with Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, hydrogeologist and co-founder of ACWADAM, about groundwater science in India – from basalt aquifers and rural irrigation to springshed revival in the Himalayas and participatory groundwater management.

This episode was recorded in November 2025 on the sidelines of a two-day event celebrating the life and work of Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, marking his recognition with the 2025 International Water Prize by the University of Oklahoma. Because the conversation was long and deeply insightful, we’re releasing it in two parts – this is Part 2.

 



In this episode, Dr. Kulkarni explains how participatory groundwater management (PGWM) evolved in India, and why aquifers must be treated as common pool resources. He shares field-based examples of PGWM “models” in practice — from borewell bans and drinking water protection zones to borehole pooling and crop planning. He also reflects on the biggest external forces shaping groundwater outcomes, especially energy policy and market incentives.

Through this conversation, he explains why urban groundwater remains “hidden”, and why cities must treat recharge as a public service, not just an individual mandate. Finally, he highlights the major unanswered questions in groundwater today — contamination and depletion — and why groundwater science will always remain a field science.

Suggested Readings:

  1. Himanshu Kulkarni: ResearchGate
  2. ACWADAM
  3. Kulkarni, Himanshu. (2014). A report on ACWADAM’s PGWM Action Research Pilots. 10.13140/RG.2.2.21682.48320.
  4. Shah, M. & Kulkarni, Himanshu. (2015). Urban water systems in India typologies and hypotheses. Economic and Political Weekly. 50. 57-69.
  5. Kulkarni, Himanshu & Satyam, Kumar. (2024). Groundwater Law: Protection and Use. DOI:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198884682.013.34 
  6. Kulkarni, Himanshu & Rajguru, Jairaj & Korde, Pratik. (2023). Unravelling Pune’s Aquifers – Framework for Groundwater Management and Governance. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.34683.18724 

The Water Data Podcast is a talk show on the science, systems, and stories of water hosted by Veena Srinivasan.

Subscribe to the Water Data Podcast on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Castbox, and wherever you get your podcasts! Drop us a note at welllabs.comms@ifmr.ac.in if you cannot find new episodes of the podcast on your favourite app.

Recording by Vedant Ambrule and Tippana Chaitanya

Video editing by Nabina Chakraborty

Graphics and artwork by Kanishka Goyal and Aparna Nambiar

Audio mixing and mastering by Vijay Doiphode

Podcast production and management by Nabina Chakraborty and Pavan Srinath

 

Follow us to stay updated about our work.