Water is a very important and vital resource necessary for human existence. Freshwater, in particular, is a very important resource for all life on earth. Fresh water makes up only 2.5-2.75% of all water available on Earth. The rest of the water is naturally salt water, which severely limits its usefulness. Freshwater is used by humans for drinking, agriculture, and daily activities. Freshwater is available in the form of glacial, groundwater and surface water. Freshwater surface water sources include rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams. Surface water is the most important source of fresh water for all people. Responsible and efficient protection and use of surface water is therefore of paramount importance. Freshwater is a renewal and a finite resource. Fresh water can be replenished by precipitation. Catchments and surface waters are the primary sources for the collection and storage of freshwater harvested by precipitation.

With population growth and economic development, urbanized areas expand spatially and create ecological imbalance. Expanded cities convert farmland, water bodies and forests into urban structures, leading to ecological imbalances. The immigration of people to urban areas led to a dramatic increase in the population of cities, in which creating more demand for land, fresh water and other infrastructure. Cities stressed by the need for infrastructure and lack of land at lower prices lead to horizontal development along the periphery. The spatial expansion of cities accentuates the surface of freshwater reservoirs. Several studies have been conducted to know the degree of urbanization. Over the past three decades, several Indian cities have undergone extensive urbanization.

An important part of the urban landscape infrastructure is the water body. Rainwater collection systems are built into water features like tanks and ponds. Such water bodies are beneficial for irrigation, drinking water supply, groundwater recharge, and many other environmental purposes like controlling floods and soil erosion. Anthropogenic activities have recently resulted in the loss of several water bodies, placing the surviving bodies of water under stress due to the possibility of degradation. Encroachment in urban and peri-urban regions is another issue. More land is needed for houses and other facilities because of the increase in urban population. The expensive and limited land resources eventually put pressure on the water bodies. There are several steps in the problem-solving process, from putting an end to the abuse to restoration to monitoring.

Urban India is witnessing a rapid growth that has an impact on the fate of water bodies. Chennai, one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in India, is not an exception to this urbanization process. Chennai’s precious water resources are under severe stress. Further, the recent, 100-year flood disaster that occurred in November–December 2015 over Chennai has had tragic consequences on its population and has brought back the focus on its water bodies. In this regard Government of Tamil Nadu is looking to develop IT Application as Pilot Study using Artificial Intelligence and Satellite to monitor encroachment and water Quality in Water bodies in and around Chennai City. To help authorities with last mile visibility of water bodies, technologies such as mobility, GIS, remote sensing and bigdata.