The game simulates the challenge of many Indian farmers to decide on the use of groundwater. Groundwater is a shared resource with a dispersed, mobile nature, creating difficulties in observing flows and extractions. These factors have posed challenges for both state and community regulation. Increasing proliferation of deep bore wells along with injudicious water use and shifts towards water intensive crops are widely observed. While groundwater is a part of an aquifer system and is a shared resource, households accessing groundwater for irrigation, drinking and cooking tend to believe it as a private resource. As a result, groundwater levels in many areas of India are falling, particularly in hard rock aquifers.

The Groundwater Game is played with a group of other invited players. It will put you and them in the position of a farmer who has to decide in the dry season on the crop to grow. You will be able to choose a) groundnut which requires less water but also creates less income, or b) paddy/rice which is more profitable but also needs more water (Table 1).

The choice of crop becomes tricky as the group is facing limitations in its water availability. Your community’s aquiver has initially a water table of some ft. From this amount every player’s water use will be deducted. At the same time, after each round there will be a water recharge of some ft.

The game will be played over multiple rounds. It ends either after 10 rounds or when your water table reaches some ft. How long you can play and generate income by growing crops depends on your game decisions and the decisions of other players.