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EXPRESS INTERVIEW I Why there is an urgent need for protecting natural groundwater sources

The Indian Express speaks with Prof Himanshu Kulkarni, founder trustee and secretary of ACWADAM, who recently became the first Indian to be awarded the International Water Prize for his work in groundwater governance and community-led groundwater management.

The idea of using the science of hydrogeology in a participatory way, to understand aquifers and support community action in groundwater management, became the foundation of ACWADAM’s work and continues to guide its efforts today.

Geologists from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) set up the Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) in 1998, driven by the idea that research should go beyond academic lecture halls. The aim was to design education and research programmes on groundwater that could help communities and organisations make informed decisions about managing this vital resource. The idea of using the science of hydrogeology in a participatory way, to understand aquifers and support community action in groundwater management, became the foundation of ACWADAM’s work and continues to guide its efforts today.

A month ago, Prof Himanshu Kulkarni, founder trustee and secretary, ACWADAM, became the first Indian to be awarded the 2025 International Water Prize for his work in groundwater governance and community-led groundwater management. In an interview with The Indian Express, Prof Kulkarni explained ACWADAM’s work and why participatory groundwater management offers a framework for developing sustainable responses to climate and human impacts, involving local communities, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders. Excerpts:

Q. Your work with ACWADAM has primarily revolved around aquifer-based participatory groundwater management. Could you tell us more about it?

Himanshu Kulkarni: ACWADAM’s work on communication with communities on the singular topic of collectively managing aquifers has evolved significantly. This is not just from our own field experiences but from those of many other organisations. An aquifer is a saturated zone of sediment or rock that can yield water in quantities sufficient for practical use through wells and springs. Community resource persons help not only in generating local knowledge on aquifers, but also in suggesting various methods of communicating the same for collective decision-making and action.

Q. What process did you follow to explain the importance of groundwater to the community when they could not visualise and see these aquifers operating under the ground?

Kulkarni: The process can be broadly broken down into the following steps – (1) A local-level mapping and characterisation of aquifers to gauge their extent, capacity to store and transmit water and the quality of groundwater, followed by demystified processes of communicating complex results into simple messages; (2) Developing audio-visual communication tools for dialogue with communities for collective decision making on what we call ‘protocols’ of groundwater management; (3) The community finally decides what is ‘acceptable’ to the group as a whole. Hence, the feedback from experiences across India also feeds into the ever-evolving process of such communication. We also ensure strategies for communicating this collective knowledge and wisdom, based on the location, situation, and socio-economic conditions. This is especially relevant, given the highly diverse socio-ecological conditions that prevail in different parts.

Q. How is springshed management different from aquifer management?

Kulkarni: Understanding aquifers is integrated into understanding how ‘springsheds’ operate. A springshed is an integrated system of watersheds, the underlying aquifers and the larger landscape in which a system of springs occurs in an area or region. Springshed management, therefore, integrates managing landscapes that include watersheds and the underlying aquifers. It also considers learning from communities that have depended on spring water for centuries.

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Q. So, which is more crucial to address right now when we are facing unpredictable rainfall and the weather patterns are disturbed?

Kulkarni: Spring water, like the other components of catchment water – streams, rivers and the glacial and permafrost systems in higher altitudes – have become vulnerable to both natural (climate and climate-related events) and anthropogenic fluxes (like deforestation, over extraction of groundwater). Protecting and conserving springs as natural groundwater sources that support life, livelihoods, and ecosystems must become a priority under such circumstances. Springshed management provides a template on which sustainable responses to climate and human fluxes can be provided through participation by local communities and a variety of stakeholders, including policymakers and researchers.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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