Pune’s Innovative Groundwater Monitoring App Recognized by Indian Government
Pune, 10th July 2023:WaterLabs Solution, a Pune-based company, has unveiled a groundbreaking mobile application called “Bhujal” that has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. This innovative app is the first of its kind and revolutionizes the way groundwater levels are monitored and managed without the need to dismantle borewells.
In India, borewells serve as a vital source of groundwater for various purposes. However, due to their concealed nature, it has been a challenge to accurately assess the water levels they hold. This lack of knowledge often leads to excessive pumping of water until the borewells run dry, resulting in inefficient water usage and poor borewell management.
WaterLabs Solution, led by Vijay Gawade, has addressed this issue by developing the user-friendly “Bhujal” app for Android devices. Based on the principle that “what needs to be managed, needs to be measured,” this app provides a simple yet effective solution for tracking water levels in borewells. Notably, the Bhujal app has been patented.
Bhujal stands out for its simplicity and accessibility. It is a multilingual app that can be easily downloaded and used without the need for additional sensors, tools, or equipment. Unlike other methods, the Bhujal app does not require the borewell assembly to be opened, making it the most convenient tool available for groundwater monitoring. In less than a minute, the app can accurately determine water levels in a borewell. It is a powerful tool for individuals, groups of farmers, communities, institutions, businesses, and industries to manage their borewells effectively.
The accuracy and reliability of the Bhujal app have been extensively tested and validated by prestigious organizations such as the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) in Kozhikode, the Central Ground Water Board, IIT Mumbai, ACWADAM in Pune, and state ground agencies in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has provided grant funding for the development of the Bhujal app. Its recognition as one of the Innovative Apps in the Agri Conclave, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, further highlights its significance. WaterLabs Solution has also been chosen as a technology and implementation partner by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, for the Amrut 2 Mission, which aims to benefit nearly 500 cities across India.
Currently, the Bhujal app is being utilized to monitor 300 borewells in the Pune Municipal Corporation area to develop an aquifer management plan, with funding from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Amrut 2 Mission. Additionally, the app is being employed by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Bihar to monitor drinking water borewells for Grampanchayats. A pilot project is also planned in Haryana, in collaboration with the Danish international NGO Human for People, to initiate community-based data-driven management of groundwater resources, specifically for monitoring irrigation borewells. ACWADAM, a renowned organization focusing on groundwater issues in India, is utilizing the app for research purposes across numerous borewells in both urban and rural areas.
Currently, the Bhujal app is being used to monitor more than 1800 borewells, and it is projected that this number will surpass 5000 borewells in 2023, indicating a significant growth rate of 270%. The existing market for groundwater monitoring tools is limited, comprising expensive and non-scalable options such as sounders, piezometers, and digital water level recorders. In contrast, the Bhujal app offers a cost-effective and non-invasive solution that overcomes these constraints. It opens up potential opportunities for Bhujal in various sectors, including domestic, agriculture, industrial, and government-led groundwater monitoring.
