The APWELL Project: Andhra Pradesh's experience with participatory hydrological monitoring

The APWELL project sought to improve agricultural production through controlled groundwater exploitation by the means of nearly 3,500 wells and irrigation systems. The project acknowledged the risk of over-exploitation of groundwater.Part of the solution was to only permit wells in areas that were not already over-exploited. Recharge of groundwater and increasing irrigation efficiency were also implemented.

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18 Dec 2012, 8:34 am

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Preventing groundwater abuse depends on the users' knowledge of what constitutes this over-exploitation and abuse, and why it is undesirable. The success of APWELL, therefore, depends on participatory hydrological monitoring in which the users were trained in basic hydrology and charged with monitoring the hydrological balance of the watershed. In addition to quantity, APWELL has also been focusing on drinking quality, as the project found that many farmers depend on irrigation borewells for their drinking water.

This article presents two documents that detail the process. These are both authored by SV Govardhan Das, who initiated and implemented the project.

The 'Participatory Hydrological Monitoring Manual' details every step of the project, and is a good resource for individuals and organisations seeking to replicate this project. The manual is organised as follows: