The challenges facing many countries in their struggle for economic and social development are related to water (TAC, GWP 2000: 6) 2. India is also a varied country in terms of water. availability and Maharashtra is a special state. Maharashtra has unequal distribution of water resources. A large area is therefore in water deficit while a small part has an abundance of water. The physiography of Maharashtra presents constraints in creating surface water (SW) potential for irrigation purposes. At present, the irrigated area represents 17.5 percent of the total cultivable area 3. One study estimates that even after exploiting all feasible sites, the maximum irrigation potential created could reach up to 34 percent . This suggests that groundwater is a reliable source in the state and offers vast opportunities for development and utilization for domestic, irrigation and drinking purposes. Groundwater (GW), in its simple definition, is water located beneath the earth's surface, often between saturated soil and rock that feeds wells and springs. However, GW is a complex dynamic system and requires specialized efforts for its development and management. The physiography coupled with the hard rock geology 4 of the state necessitated the emergence of a distinct expertise organization.3.1 Emergence of GSDA Apart from the peculiar geology and physiography, the state faces a constant threat of drought. Nearly a third of its area is subject to chronic drought with low annual precipitation of 500 mm and less. The situation is made worse by the presence of rugged topography and hard rock geology. In this scenario, where drinking water is a high priority sector, only 15 percent of drinking water supply projects are SW-based. Therefore, the shortage of drinking water remains... middle of paper... local politicians wanted more powers and knowledge over GSDA programs, which should be taken positively. »5 The aquifer is an underground bed or layer of drinking water. permeable rock, sediment, or soil that produces water. Certain targets were set for BW drilling to mitigate drinking water requirements and officials from the GSDA hierarchy monitored and supervised this work. Apparently, people realized that the state would always take necessary measures to avoid emergencies in drinking water supply (Phansalkar, S. and Kher, V. 2006: 79). TAC, GWP (2000: 9) reports that water management is generally left to institutions imposed from above, whose legitimacy and effectiveness are questionable. The approach taken by GSDA during this first phase was model oriented (simply as a service provider). A typical organizational structure during the first phase is attempted in the following figure 1.