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India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. With current dependency on the resource, challenges pertaining to management and governance of groundwater in the country have increased tremendously. To address these challenges, various policy and programmatic interventions have been devised and implemented by state and non-state actors. In this chapter, we question the techno-managerial nature of these solutions and propose a socio-hydrogeological approach that integrates the multidisciplinary and decentralised nature of groundwater problems. To illustrate this, we draw on case studies that have emerged as part of our work on strengthening participatory processes of aquifer monitoring and mapping, decentralised groundwater allocation for agricultural decisions and management strategies that evolve through local institutions. Various programmes are underway in the country aimed at improving participation in governance of groundwater resources. If we are to achieve our goals of collectively and sustainably managing this invisible resource, there is a need to adopt approaches that move beyond the techno-managerial paradigm and embody local ways of knowing, using, and managing groundwater.

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