Published Paper Details:

Groundwater serves as the main buffer against hydroclimatic variability in India, where recharge is concentrated within a short monsoon period. The study employs two focused analytical methods -- the Mann-Kendall test and Sen's slope estimation. Pre- and post-monsoon series are included in multi-year well observations, with quality control ensuring seasonal consistency. Sen's slope provides a robust measure of magnitude that is resistant to outliers and irregular sampling, while trend analysis identifies the direction and strength of monotonic changes at the well scale. This approach allows comparison between dry-season conditions before the monsoon and wet-season conditions after the monsoon, clarifying whether declines are concentrated prior to recharge or persist across seasons. Correlation analysis incorporates pre- to post-monsoon variations. The procedure separates long-term trends from short-term fluctuations, providing a concise, reproducible basis for quantifying groundwater depletion rates. The approach is intentionally minimal yet policy-relevant: by limiting inference to observed groundwater levels and rainfall, it enables transparent replication across semi-arid regions with routine monitoring networks, facilitates consistent comparison of trend magnitudes and seasonal recharge responses, and provides an empirical baseline against which future interventions can be evaluated