Community Water Budgeting and Recharge Site Planning Platform

Objective: Develop a digital platform to assist local authorities and communities in India with water resource budgeting and scientific planning of recharge structures.

India faces acute water scarcity and declining groundwater levels, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, impacting farmers, municipal bodies, and panchayats. Effective water management and recharge planning are essential to ensure sustainable access, mapping to SDG 6 targets and responsibilities of departments like Jal Shakti and local water boards.

The proposed solution is a web/mobile platform that enables communities and local officials to estimate water demand, track current water budgets, and scientifically identify optimal sites for rainwater harvesting and recharge structures. It leverages open geospatial and hydrological datasets, community inputs, and real-time monitoring to support evidence-based decision-making.

Key features include interactive water budgeting modules, GIS-based recharge site mapping, integration of open-data sources, community feedback tools, and impact dashboards. The working prototype will demonstrate end-to-end workflows from data ingestion to actionable planning recommendations and user engagement.

This tool will empower communities to participate in water management, promote sustainable recharge practices, and provide measurable improvements in water availability. It can scale across districts and states by leveraging open-data standards and stakeholder engagement protocols.