Constant recharge of groundwater is the need of the hour

If you have the means to drill a well, you will almost surely find water beneath your feet. Even during droughts, groundwater takes a long time to be influenced. It's like a water reservoir that doesn't evaporate. It's because of this that it's so enticing for climate change adaptation and resilience.

Sustainable groundwater management is at the heart of the solution. It's vital to have a scientific understanding of groundwater and to manage it appropriately since if we use it responsibly and replenish it, groundwater might help address the problem.

Despite being submerged under the Earth's surface; groundwater plays an important part in the water cycle. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands are surface manifestations of groundwater that exchange flow with a groundwater reservoir that feeds them when they need water and eliminates some of their flow when there is plenty of it.

What is groundwater recharge and where is the need?

It's only logical that water conservation measures would become more important as the demand for water grows. Groundwater recharge, which refills aquifers, is one such measure. Artificial groundwater recharge can be done instead of waiting for time and Mother Nature to absorb and filter surface water. Surplus surface water is channeled deeper into the subsurface to accomplish this.

Artificial recharge has several advantages, including:

1. recharging the aquifer beneath the ground.

2. functioning as a reservoir for excess precipitation that can be collected during periods of water scarcity.

3. avoiding seawater intrusion into aquifers in coastal locations.

4. managing stream base flows.

5. lowering the groundwater level, which lowers pumping costs.

6. Because there is a considerable need for groundwater for drinking and agriculture in locations with limited surface water availability, artificial recharge is prevalent.

Smart infrastructure and methodologies must be assessed and used in order to solve this puzzle.

1. Basins for Spreading:

The spreading basins method uses surface flooding of water in basins excavated in existing terrain. For successful recharging, very permeable soils must be used, and a layer of water must be maintained over the soil. The amount of water entering the aquifer is influenced by three elements when employing direct discharge: infiltration rate, percolation rate, and horizontal water movement capacity.

Particle deposition delivered by water in suspension or in solution, algae growth, colloidal swelling, soil dispersion, microbial activity, and other causes cause clogging at the aquifer's surface. Spreading basins work best where there is a layer beneath the land surface and the aquifer, and clean water is accessible for recharging.

2. Fill Pits and Shafts with Water:

In these situations, surface flooding technologies for artificial recharge are rather unusual. Low-permeability lenses are common between the ground surface and the water table. In this instance, artificial recharge techniques like trenches and shafts may be successful in gaining access to the dewatered aquifer. The rate of recharge rose as the side slope of the pits grew.

To keep the high recharge rates running, unfiltered runoff water deposits a thin coating of silt on the sides and bottom of the pits, which must be maintained. Shafts can have a circular, rectangular, or square cross-section, and they can be backfilled with porous materials. Excavation above the water table may be coming to a halt. Recharge rates in both shafts and pits may diminish with time due to the accumulation of fine-grained debris and the clogging effect produced by microbial activity.

3. Detachments:

A ditch is a long, narrow trench with a shallow depth and a narrow bottom width. A ditch system is designed to match a certain location's terrain and geological circumstances. A series of trenches running down the topographic slope could be part of a ditch and flood-control project's design. The ditches could culminate in a collection ditch designed to transport away any water that does not penetrate, preventing ponding and the accumulation of small particles.

4. Wells for Injection and Recharge:

Deep-water bearing strata are immediately recharged via injection and recharge wells. If the earth materials are unconsolidated, recharge wells could be dug through the material overlaying the aquifer and a screen erected in the well at the injection zone.

Recharge wells are only suitable in areas where the soil surface and the aquifer to be refilled are separated by a thick impermeable barrier. They're also beneficial in areas where land is scarce. This method allows for a rather high recharge rate. The water level in the recharge well can climb excessively high due to a clogged well screen or aquifer.

5. Surface Dams:

A higher-pressure head to a lower-pressure head is where groundwater flows. This will help in semi-arid areas, especially in the upper reaches where groundwater velocity is high. Indirectly, more surface water can be used by accessing more groundwater in the upper reaches, reducing influx into lower supply zones. Groundwater is stored in subsurface dams or manmade sand storage dams made from natural aquifer materials.

6. Farm Ponds:

These are traditional rainwater collection equipment. Farm ponds are small storage tanks that collect and store rainwater runoff for irrigation and drinking. Farm ponds are split into three types based on their construction style and adaptability to diverse topographic conditions: dug farm ponds for flat topography, embankment ponds for hilly and ragged terrains, and excavated cum embankment type ponds for excavated cum embankment type ponds.

The location of agricultural ponds is influenced by rainfall, land topography, soil type, texture, permeability, water holding capacity, land-use pattern, and other considerations.

7. Streamlet's Historical Large Well:

If there are any old wells near the streamlet, connect drains to allow water from the streamlet to enter the well. The historical wells act as a recharge well in this case, providing for greater groundwater quality. Check dams are small barriers that are erected across the flow of water in shallow rivers and streams to collect rainwater. The little dams hold excess water in a small catchment area behind the structure during monsoon rains. The pressures formed in the catchment zone force the impounded water into the soil. The principal environmental benefit is the replenishment of nearby groundwater reserves and wells.

9. Alternative waters:

Alternative waters are sustainable water sources that aren't derived from fresh surface or groundwater and help to meet the need for fresh water. Alternative water sources include the following:

• Rainwater collected from roofs

• Stormwater captured, reclaimed wastewater, graywater, and captured condensate

• Additional sources of alternate water

• Discharged water from water purification procedures

• Water from the foundation and water from the blowdown

• Water that has been desalinated.

• Atmospheric water generation

Based on this concept of Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG), Maithri Aquatech has developed MEGHDOOT — a sustainable water solution that generates clean water from the air without relying on ground or surface water.

MEGHDOOT generates clean water by sucking air into the system, condensing water vapour in the air into liquid water, filtering it through a multi-stage filtration process, and dispensing it as needed. The produced water is safe to drink and complies with World Health Organization (WHO) and Indian Drinking Water Quality Standards.

This environmentally beneficial solution has zero water waste and zero carbon emissions, can run on renewable energy and is a renewable energy source. The solution is built making use of a modular architecture, allowing it to generate from tens of litres to millions of litres of water, while itself being a decentralised source of water. With water being a universal requirement, MEGHDOOT is scalable even in terms of the wide variety of applications. Our company is dedicated to providing potable water solutions to meet the requirements of underserved societies on one side to large corporate offices, government undertaking as well as catering to the potable water requirements of people on the move in places such as railway stations, bus stops, airports etc. The agricultural water needs can also be addressed by aligning with sustainable technologies.

This alternate source of water helps groundwater to recharge and is a perennial source of water on this planet.

Learn from our experts about how Maithri’s water-related solutions are providing alternative sources of water that not only reduce the dependence on surface water but also aid in the recharge of groundwater by not completely extracting it.

Perils and conflicts due to water scarcity in Southeast Asia

Water scarcity, along with its deadly effects, is rapidly engulfing the globe. Over two billion people already live in nations with severe water scarcity. According to the United Nations, one out of every four children would face severe water scarcity by 2030-2040, and approximately 750 million people will be displaced due to water constraints. In the second half of this century, water is projected to be one of the primary causes of war, geopolitical tensions, humanitarian, environmental, and economic disasters. We only have so much freshwater available in our closed water system. However, with an ever-increasing global population, an ever-increasing need for water, and the burning of natural resources to accommodate us all, sharing water peacefully and responsibly between governments and those who need it most will be a difficult task.

Southeast Asia under the microscope

Water scarcity will be disproportionately catastrophic for Southeast Asia's economic and human development, with millions of people reliant on a single lake or river. By 2050, more than half of the world's population will live in water-scarce areas, with Asia accounting for 73 percent of those affected. In addition, although utilizing the least quantity of water per capita, Asia withdraws the highest percentage of freshwater sources, at 20%. Furthermore, with agriculture accounting for 80% of this water loss, it is impossible not to raise concerns about the economic vulnerability of some of the less developed countries that are more reliant on crops and farming.

There is water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

'Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink,' applies not only to the miseries of an Ancient Mariner but also to a location afflicted by water scarcity despite being surrounded by oceans. Tensions are unavoidably going to grow in the near future. We don't even have to wait 40 years to see this play out since the seeds of discontent and strife are already there.

The Mekong river basin is a good place to start looking for these issues. The river flows through eight nations, and 60 million people in five countries in the Lower Mekong Basin rely on it for food and income. However, a combination of water politics and more severe drought seasons raises the potential of dependency. For example, in July 2019, the Mekong's water levels were at their lowest in 100 years, putting people in jeopardy and making conditions worse.

ASEAN and a water management system based on rules

Southeast Asia, on the other hand, can still establish a rules-based water management system that facilitates and addresses international discussions, infrastructure funding, and mounting conflicts. ASEAN appears to be the best prospect for this position. The shared idea of "one identity, one vision" is the ideal reason for collaboration among the Mekong river states. If tensions are to be reduced, the ASEAN-Mekong Basin Development Cooperation, which had been dormant for more than two decades prior to the Asian Financial Crisis, must be injected with strategic vision and financing as soon as possible.

To be sure, this can only happen if the BDC, or a revamped version of it, has an executive with equal representation for all states, particularly an equal platform for the region's least developed countries. In the long run, however, a structured and sustainably used river basin will benefit all states in the region, ensuring future development, trade, and security.

Transfers and technological innovations

As a result of new ASEAN initiatives, more developed countries in the region may be able to provide money and technological transfer. Singapore is a good example. The state has developed ways to obtain a regular supply of freshwater and becomes less reliant on Malaysia for its water through technological advances such as installing desalination plants and storage of treated sewage water. Our natural environment does not have to constrain us in our hunt for water sources in our technological age. As a result, the current murky hydro-politics can be avoided. However, when we consider how the Chinese government has provided no indication that it is willing to negotiate joint control of the Mekong, this becomes far-fetched thinking. Without China accepting that the Mekong is not theirs to maintain, solutions will continue to be based on scholarly, journalistic, and individual speculation.

The governments of Southeast Asia are well aware of the intertwined concerns of water security and disaster management. The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2025 forging ahead together and the building resilience for sustainable ASEAN from water-related disasters project indicate the importance member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have on this dual objective.

However, the frameworks and actions for dealing with water – too little, too much, or polluted – in these two areas are still not as integrated as they should be. How ASEAN member states work together to ensure appropriate access to clean, potable water and alleviate the effects of water-related disasters? Defining and solving the issue of water security Using a disaster governance perspective to secure water and improve resilience might open up new avenues for pooling resources, building political will, averting conflicts, and fostering transboundary collaboration.

Integrating water-security priorities into broader disaster governance aims is one strategy to achieve this goal at the regional level. The work program of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) provides a starting point. The AADMER is more than just a framework for regional collaboration in disaster loss reduction and emergency response. It is also the first legally binding instrument of its sort. A normative entity like ASEAN has an advantage in gaining committed and sustained political, financial, and administrative backing over competing for regional agendas.

Water shortage and stress solutions and contingency plans can assist ASEAN to make tangible progress toward more proactive and adaptive drought-risk management by including them into disaster-risk assessments, early warning systems, response mechanisms, needs assessments, and risk financing. Similarly, adopting people-centered disaster governance mechanisms, such as community-based approaches for dealing with periodic droughts, can help meet a growing population's water needs while not leaving vulnerable people behind. It can also help to motivate local participation in water-rationing exercises to reduce abuse of water resources, which is especially important in large urban areas.

Another stage would be to combine structural water-security measures for reducing water pollution and flooding with non-structural ways for dealing with the compound risks of water-related calamities. Waterborne disease outbreaks can be reduced by prioritizing the provision of a secure, reliable water supply as part of disaster preparedness. Adopting technologies to monitor structural faults and water levels in reservoirs can help with system redundancy and disaster response for rising dangers such as dam breakdowns.

Non-structural disaster governance measures, meanwhile, can improve the effectiveness of water security technologies. In water security planning, catastrophe risk-informed development frameworks can highlight trade-offs of investment initiatives. Installing floodwalls, for example, can improve the protection of metropolitan areas. However, it exposes nearby rural areas to floods in different ways.

Finally, inequalities are at the root of many water-related issues. To address these, we need to engage in participatory discourse and action that takes into account the interests and capabilities of local actors as well as the business sector. Water security is threatened by social marginalization, politicized commercialization, environmental racism, and unregulated privatization. Disaster governance crowd-sourcing networks that are diverse and inclusive can be excellent venues for multi-stakeholder collaboration. Putting these strategies in place under AADMER would help guarantee that ASEAN's joint efforts to secure water and create resilience continue to get funding, direction, and support.

In many places of the world, water scarcity and climate change have resulted in limited access to safe drinking water. Water supply is being seriously impacted by rapid urbanisation. With decentralised, sustainable, and highly scalable water solutions, Maithri Aquatech is revolutionising water access and purification. Its product, MEGHDOOT which is based on the concept of Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG), is capable of producing clean, potable water from the air. There is no requirement for groundwater or surface water. The solution to the worldwide water dilemma is Atmospheric Water Generators, which combine water generation and purification into a single device.

Atmospheric water generation (AWG) is a technique for extracting potable water from the atmosphere. The technology provides an alternate, long-term water source. This has the potential to increase water availability during shortages, pollution incidents, and other problems that can cause drinking water supplies to be disrupted. Natural calamities, such as hurricanes, and public water infrastructure problems, such as pipe corrosion resulting in contamination issues, have piqued interest in AWG technology as a short- and long-term supply option.

For more details, you may contact us at :

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