Every Drop Counts: How farmers are protecting India’s water future with Alternate Wetting and Drying

In India’s paddy fields, water is life. But today, that lifeline is under threat. With 18% of the world’s population but only 4% of global freshwater, India is at the center of a growing crisis. Agriculture alone consumes 85% of the country’s freshwater, and rice — a staple for millions — is one of the most water-intensive crops to grow. In fact, Global rice demand is projected to rise by nearly 11% between 2024 and 2028, underscoring the urgency to address the environmental challenges linked to rice cultivation.

For decades, farmers have relied on continuous flooding to cultivate paddy, using up to 3,000–5,000 liters of water to produce just one kilogram of rice. But with aquifers depleting and rainfall becoming unpredictable, these practices are no longer sustainable.

Over the past decade, Central Ground Water Board data shows that around 30% of monitored wells nationwide have experienced declining water levels. In Telangana’s key agricultural areas, including Warangal and neighboring districts, groundwater levels have fallen by 2 to 3 meters in recent years.

For many farming families, falling groundwater levels mean waiting for water to recharge wells and dealing with longer, more expensive pump operation. Some areas rely so heavily on tube wells that canal networks remain underutilized, intensifying pressure on underground reserves. The farmers worry if there will be enough for the next crop — or the next generation.

Mitti Labs and AWD: Simple solution, big impact

In his Warangal paddy fields, farmer Buddhi Reddy Prathap Reddy uses a small perforated pipe provided by Mitti Labs to track soil moisture and decide when to irrigate. This pipe is part of a method called Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), introduced by Mitti Labs, and it’s helping him do something that once seemed impossible: grow rice using less water without reducing his yield.

'Pani pipes' (meaning 'water pipes') are perforated pipes that farmers insert in the soil to track soil moisture and control irrigation cycles. To date, Mitti Labs has helped farmers install over 40,000 pipes across 6 states in India.

“Earlier, we used water carelessly, without knowing how much we were wasting,” Prathap says, recalling his three decades of farming experience. “Now, through this program, we’ve learned to grow more crops using less water. It saves resources for future generations.”

Paddy farming has deep cultural and economic roots in India, but traditional methods rely heavily on continuous flooding. While this practice has been used for centuries, it demands enormous volumes of water: typically 3,000 to 5,000 liters per kilogram of rice according to the International Rice Research Institute.

Mitti Labs’ AWD approach changes that by introducing simple, science-based water management. Farmers place a perforated pipe in their fields to track soil moisture. Instead of constantly flooding the field, they irrigate only when the pipe shows that the water level has dropped below a safe threshold.

For Prathap, this single change has been transformative:

“Earlier, we kept 3 inches of water standing in the field all the time. Now, with the AWD pipe, we know when to irrigate and when to wait. We save four to five rounds of watering each season. It’s better for us and for the soil.”

Why water matters beyond the field

Across India, water scarcity is reality shaping lives today. Nearly 600 million people are already living under high to extreme water stress, according to NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index. The pressures are growing so rapidly that by 2030, India’s demand for water is projected to be twice the available supply.

The challenge isn’t limited to rural areas. Cities, too, are on the brink. Experts warn that 21 Indian cities, including Telengana's capital Hyderabad, could face severe groundwater exhaustion in the coming years if current trends continue.

In the countryside, the story is already unfolding in quiet but devastating ways. The Central Ground Water Board reports that over 60% of India’s monitored wells have shown declining water levels over the last decade. Telangana, a state heavily dependent on paddy cultivation, is feeling the pressure acutely. Across several districts — including Warangal, where Mitti Labs works closely with farmers — groundwater levels have dropped by 2 to 3.5 meters in just recent years.

For farming families, these numbers translate into nights spent waiting for pumps to draw enough water, rising electricity bills as motors run longer, and a constant, growing worry about whether there will be enough left for the next season, or the next generation.

A shared responsibility, looking ahead

From government agencies and agricultural scientists to rural communities and technology innovators, protecting India’s water future requires collective action. Farmers learn why conserving water matters, not just for their farms, but for their villages and the planet.

“Through Mitti Labs, we’ve learned how to manage water, reduce pollution, and protect nature,” says Prathap. “We’re teaching our children too. This isn’t just for us, it’s for the next generation.”

Water scarcity in India is one of the country’s defining challenges, especially as the planet continues to warm, but solutions exist. By combining traditional wisdom with science-backed practices, communities can adapt to a changing climate while safeguarding their livelihoods.

In Warangal’s fields, that future is already taking shape. With each saved irrigation cycle, each avoided borewell failure, and each farmer who chooses AWD, a new story is being written — one where every drop counts.