GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY: INTEGRATED POLICY, TECHNOLOGICAL, AND COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIES FOR AQUIFER RESILIENCE

Groundwater depletion poses significant risks to India's water security agriculture and ecosystems especially in areas such as the Indo-Gangetic plain and Punjab employing gis mapping grace satellite data hydrological models and stakeholder surveys this research identifies depletion hotspots examines trends from 2000-2025 and forecasts scenarios through 2050 results indicate a rapid decrease showing yearly drops reaching 05 meters in essential regions yet restoration is possible with cohesive approaches the framework comprises regulations extraction caps tiered pricing technologies controlled aquifer recharge IoT surveillance and community programs water budgeting integrating traditional and modern practices latest figures from 2024-2025 indicate a rise of 15 bcm in recharge and a reduction of 3 bcm in extraction underscoring advancements under initiatives such as Atal bhujal yojana this adaptable framework provides workable solutions for aquifer resilience in India a systematic survey was given to 120 stakeholders in water-scarce areas of India using purposive sampling data analysis employed descriptive statistics within spss 26 the research highlights a fair level of awareness and advocates for improved literacy initiatives to encourage sustainable behaviours..