In the 1980s, Maharashtra played a pioneering role in promoting integrated watershed development to address water scarcity. In this post, Tiwale and Sankar contend that in recent years, the state has shifted to technocratic, quick-fix, and fragmented approaches to water management. They discuss two schemes – the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan and Farm Pond on Demand – and recommend an integrated, bottom-up approach with science-based solutions, demand-side measures and appropriate institutional arrangements. The Indian state of Maharashtra faces recurring droughts due to erratic rainfall, overextraction of groundwater, and poor water management, leading to severe shortages of drinking water and adverse impacts on agriculture and livelihoods. In response to these issues, the concept of watershed development evolved in the state during the 1980s, focusing on micro-watershed scale interventions to reduce runoff and soil erosion, while increasing soil moisture, groundwater recharge, and vegetative productivity. This approach was effectively demonstrated by model villages such as Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar. In the early 1990s, this progressed into integrated watershed development, which involves managing land, water, and vegetation resources holistically, and emphasises multi-disciplinarity and community participation through local institution-building.