Teju Kumar N, Assistant Engineer at ACIWRM, Government of Karnataka, explains how canal irrigation works, and why canals remain central to India’s agricultural water systems.
Blogs & Op-eds
Urban Water
Rural Futures
Technical Consulting
Platforms and Partnerships
Futures Research
How Satellite Tech Imaged the Global Groundwater Crisis with James (Jay) Famiglietti
Jay Famiglietti, a leading hydrologist and former NASA scientist joins host Veena Srinivasan to talk about the groundbreaking GRACE satellite mission and its role in transforming global hydrology.
Labour and Water Conservation with Karan Misquitta
Karan Misquitta unpacks the long and complex history of watershed development in India – from its origins in colonial famine relief programmes to its evolution into large-scale public policy and, more recently, technology-driven interventions.
Aquifers of North India and the Indo-Gangetic Plains with Vivek Grewal
Hydrogeologist Vivek Grewal unpacks the basic science of groundwater and how groundwater behaves in the Indo-Gangetic region.
Preparing for Bengaluru’s Next Water Crisis with Gayathri Muraleedharan and Veena Srinivasan
Veena Srinivasan and Gayathri Muraleedharan join host Pavan Srinath to unpack the nature of Bangalore’s water crisis — what caused the severe summer crisis of 2024, why similar crises may recur, and what the city can do to avoid lurching from one groundwater emergency to the next.
Pathways of Development and Climate with John Thompson
John Thompson, a leading researcher in development studies and sustainability, joins host Arjuna Srinidhi to unpack the idea of “Pathways Approaches” and what it means for building climate resilience in complex systems.
The Social Science of Water: Beyond Hydrology with Trevor Birkenholtz
Professor Trevor Birkenholtz (Penn State University) joins Veena Srinivasan to explore the political ecology of water in India.
Research for Climate Adaptation and Resilience with Bruce Currie-Alder
Bruce Currie-Alder from IDRC Canada unpacks the vision behind the CLARE programme – a global initiative supporting action-oriented climate adaptation research across Africa and Asia.
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.
Maharashtra’s Groundwater and Basaltic Aquifers with Vivek Grewal
Hydrogeologist Vivek Grewal joins Pavan Srinath to explore how Maharashtra’s unique basalt geology shapes groundwater storage, availability and risk.
Himanshu Kulkarni and Indian Hydrogeology
Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, hydrogeologist and co-founder of ACWADAM, speaks to Veena about groundwater science in India – from basalt aquifers and rural irrigation to springshed revival in the Himalayas and participatory groundwater management.
Wastewater Treatment Explained with Deepthi Nagappa
The conversation explores how sewage treatment plants work, the difference between grey water and black water, what septic tanks actually do, and what nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus do to our ecosystems.
The Art of Good Hydrological Modelling with Hubert Savenije
Prof Hubert Savenije, Emeritus Professor of Hydrology at TU Delft, speaks about hydrological modelling.
Running the Odisha Millets Mission with Ashima Chaudhary
In the fourth episode of The WELL Labs Show, Ashima Chaudhary (Rural Futures, WELL Labs) speaks about millets, and the Odisha Millets Mission.
How Can We Scale Wastewater Reuse in Urban India?
The workshop “Closing the Loop: Strategies for Decentralised Water Reuse in India” explored how robust and affordable treatment solutions, reliable monitoring systems, a supportive business ecosystem, and enabling policies around wastewater reuse can be developed
Nitrogen and Phosphorous Leave a Legacy of Water Pollution with Nandita Basu
Professor Nandita Basu speaks about nutrient legacies – why nitrogen and phosphorus pollution can persist for decades, even after we reduce inputs.
South India’s Groundwater explained with Vivek Grewal
In the third episode of The WELL Labs Show, host Pavan Srinath is joined by Vivek Grewal (Technical Consulting, WELL Labs) to unpack the aquifers and groundwater in South India’s hard-rock landscapes.
Eco-Hydrology with Jagdish Krishnaswamy
Jagdish Krishnaswamy explores the science that connects hydrology, ecology, and the people who depend on India’s rivers and landscapes.
Cooperatives and Rural Development with Syamkrishnan P Aryan
In the second episode of The WELL Labs Show, host Pavan Srinath sits down with Syamkrishnan P Aryan, Senior Program Manager at WELL Labs, to unpack the world of cooperatives in India.
Creating Space for Water Collaboration with Henk Ovink
Host Veena Srinivasan speaks with Henk Ovink, world’s first “Water Diplomat”, about global cooperation, imagined redundancy, and the future of global water governance.