Designing an App to
Re-establish Shallow Wells
A community map for well development in India
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Estimated users who will engage with the app by 2026:
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The Challenge
Over the last decade, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, has experienced extreme water management problems and shortages.
In July 2015, Biome Environmental Trust, a non-profit based in Bengaluru working to facilitate livelihood-centred sustainable water and sanitation solutions, started an ongoing initiative, the Million Wells Campaign, for shallow aquifer management and to re-establish the presence of shallow wells in the city and surrounding areas.
These groundwater recharging wells can reduce the risk of drought and mitigate the risk of urban flooding. However, locating wells can be a challenge. Design for Good collaborated with Biome to support their Million Wells Campaign, build a scientific understanding of the shallow aquifer and raise awareness about groundwater.
The Innovation
Design for Good created a community-led map database app to support individuals, organisations and communities, including the Mannu Vaddars (traditional well diggers), in their work to improve the population’s access to water.
Development help
In October 2024, a pro-bono app development partner, Atta Systems, was secured in developing the prototype. The app was user tested with the well diggers and went live in August 2025. You can find it on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Centralised community-led map
Through consultation with Biome, the Design for Good team identified the need for a centralised community map database app to track the open wells and recharge wells in Bengaluru. Using their skills in service and UI/UX design, the team worked with Biome to develop a new, user-friendly digital platform that compiles well data. This database will be a key tool in Biome’s Million Wells Campaign supporting individuals, organisations and communities, including the Mannu Vaddars, who have carried out this work for generations.
Assisting Mannu Vadders in their work
App users – including the Mannu Vaddars, who will be great catalysts in bringing data into the app – are able to access detailed information for established wells across Bengaluru and submit details about newly dug wells.
The app also has the ability to facilitate a scientific understanding of the shallow aquifer in and around Bangalore, where there is almost no official data about the shallow aquifer.
The Results
We are still tracking the results of this project – check back later for future updates!
Help us make a difference
All our projects are open-source. Go ahead and use them to do good.