Urban population is rising at an alarming rate which is posing tremendous pressure on water management in urban areas. Demand of a rapidly urbanising population and heavy industrial growth is emerging as a growth factor in the country. This demand is already telling upon the stressed groundwater resources. Unchecked exploitation is also leading to severe groundwater quality issues. Poor waste and sewage management is proving responsible for large-scale contamination of aquifers. Understanding aquifers in urban regions is challenging given that majority of the land surface is modified and ‘built upon’, thus making it difficult to study the hydrogeology in a conventional manner. Innovative, participatory approaches hold promise not only in mapping and understanding aquifers in urban spaces, but also in developing participatory strategies for urban groundwater management, strategies that have the potential to form a significant component of urban water utility management.