<p dir="ltr">​​In August 2025, a national call was issued inviting academic institutions, think tanks, and NGOs to submit research proposals on Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM)—a critical but historically underexplored area, despite India being the world’s largest extractor of groundwater. With rising urban water stress, strengthening knowledge on shallow aquifers has become increasingly essential. The response to the call was exceptional, with submissions ranging from strong conceptual frameworks to practice-ready approaches.</p><p dir="ltr">Following a rigorous evaluation process, the first cohort of institutions was selected under the SAM 2.0 Research Grant. The inaugural cohort includes TERI School of Advanced Studies, INDÉ (Integrated Design), National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Hashtag Per Capita Pvt Ltd, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal, College of Engineering Trivandrum, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, BMS College of Engineering, LCIT, and Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology. The evaluation process was supported by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Shri Ranjan Ray, Shri Yogesh Jadeja, Shri S. Vishwanath, Dr. Pankaj Gupta, and Dr. Sukesh Bartarya.</p><p dir="ltr">In November 2025, the first SAM 2.0 Research Writeshop was conducted, bringing together the selected cohort to present proposals and receive structured peer and expert feedback. The sessions contextualised the SAM 2.0 vision within the broader urban groundwater agenda, followed by detailed reviews from Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Shri S. Vishwanath, Dr. Pankaj Gupta, and Dr. Syed Mohinuddin. Interactive discussions focused on effective research communication and a group exercise on urban groundwater capacity needs, structured around People, Processes, and Tools. The writeshop concluded with Dr. Debolina Kundu, Director-NIUA, signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with each cohort member, formalising their association with the SAM project.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Groundwater remains largely invisible, yet it is central to urban water security in India. With rapid urbanisation placing increasing pressure on shallow aquifers—an underutilised but critical resource—strengthening city-level capacity for groundwater management has become essential. To address this, NIUA under Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM 2.0), an initiative of AMRUT 2.0, organised a three-day Training Workshop on “Managing Shallow Aquifers in Urban Areas” in Pune from 7–9 January 2026.</p><p dir="ltr">The training brought together 22 officials from SAM 2.0 cities, fostering a shared understanding of urban aquifer systems and strengthening preparedness for city-led groundwater management. The programme combined technical depth with practical insights across four key areas: shallow aquifer concepts; city-level assessment, mapping, and site prioritisation; groundwater recharge options, including dug and heritage wells; and governance models, stakeholder engagement, and integration into urban planning.</p><p dir="ltr">Sessions were led and supported by leading groundwater and urban water experts, including Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, S. Vishwanath, Eklavya Prasad, Kalpana Ramesh, Ravindra Sinha, Viraj Rajguru, Prof. Anurag Ohri, and Prof. Brijesh Yadav, who shared field-based experiences and implementation perspectives. Participating cities included Adilabad, Agra, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dehradun, Dewas, Dharamshala, Guwahati, Indore, Jalgaon, Nabadwip, Palakkad, Palampur, Salem, Saharanpur, Siddipet, and Tirupati.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Shallow aquifer management is most effective when technical knowledge is grounded in real-world application. In this context,&nbsp;<strong>field visits to SAM 1.0 intervention sites in Pune</strong> were organised to demonstrate how urban aquifer science translates into on-ground outcomes. The visits formed part of a broader effort to showcase proven approaches to groundwater recharge, monitoring, and local-scale interventions within city settings.</p><p dir="ltr">Participants visited a range of interventions, including&nbsp;<strong>urban springs, recharge-focused catchment treatments, percolation tanks, and a state-of-the-art weather monitoring system</strong>. These sites illustrated how data-driven planning, nature-based solutions, and community-linked infrastructure can support sustainable groundwater management. The visits reinforced the importance of embedding shallow aquifer considerations into routine urban planning processes to strengthen long-term water resilience in cities.</p>