Visakhapatnam: The Inter-Disciplinary Decision Sciences & Analytics Lab (IDeAL) at the Indian Institute of Management in Visakhapatnam has developed a groundwater dashboard for all 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh. While conventional dashboards typically cover only water depth, this platform offers comprehensive analytics using 13 critical indicators, including the percentage of extraction, recharge status, and sector-wise contributions (industry, households, agriculture, etc.).
It also provides advanced analysis and future predictions. Importantly, it explains water stress levels in individual districts along with historical trends. According to experts, better district-level intelligence is essential for effective policy action to ensure that groundwater supports agriculture, livelihoods, and sustainable local development. The initiative is expected to make groundwater governance more data-driven and forward-looking.
The dashboard does more than simply report the status. For example, Alluri Sitharama Raju and Konaseema districts are both classified as safe, but with very different policy signals. While ASR shows very low extraction stress but high monsoon dependence, Konaseema remains safe overall yet exhibits a high irrigation share. Similarly, Parvathipuram-Manyam, a tribal district, shows low extraction stress, whereas the Rayalaseema districts exhibit comparatively higher stress than their coastal counterparts. These variations point to distinct management priorities. In such scenarios, the dashboard supports decision-making that moves beyond static reporting.
IIM-Vizag director Prof M Chandrasekhar said the dashboard enables users to examine historical groundwater-related trends by district and indicators. "The primary objective of the dashboard is to enable preparedness for future groundwater scenarios. In addition to forecasting, the system explains the underlying causes of emerging groundwater stress by identifying which indicators are contributing most significantly," he said.
Prof Shivshanker Singh Patel, head of the IDeAL at IIM-V, who created the dashboard with his team, said the initiative aims to support evidence-based policy, early identification of stress, and more targeted groundwater management at the district level. "It generates estimates through machine learning applications. By applying SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), an explainable AI technique, it identifies the key factors driving groundwater depletion, such as extraction rates, recharge, and sectoral use. Each district is then classified according to Central Ground Water Board standards (like safe, critical, over-exploited). This dual capability of prediction and interpretation allows policymakers and stakeholders to make informed decisions, thereby helping determine whether interventions should focus on reducing consumption, enhancing recharge, or implementing other management strategies to ensure sustainable groundwater availability," he explained.
IDeAL functions as a centre of excellence that applies interdisciplinary approaches to high-impact sectors such as water resources, healthcare, education, and public policy. Its work aligns with broader sustainable development goals. By leveraging data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, optimisation techniques, and behavioural insights, the lab aims to address complex societal challenges through a data-driven lens.
J Umamaheswara Rao is an Assistant Editor, at the Times of India-...
Read MoreJ Umamaheswara Rao is an Assistant Editor, at the Times of India-Visakhapatnam. He reports on urban development affairs, civic infrastructure, planning policies, education, health, science, emerging technologies, startups, research, and data-driven stories. He holds postgraduate degrees in journalism & mass communication, business administration, and English, plus several fellowships & short-term courses.
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