CM Rekha Gupta Announces Rainwater Harvesting Plan for 75 Schools

The Delhi government has announced a major initiative to strengthen water conservation efforts by upgrading rainwater harvesting systems in 75 CM Shri schools across the capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the project is expected to help conserve nearly 500 million liters of rainwater every year while also spreading environmental awareness among students. According to the government, the new systems will use modern technology to collect and store rainwater from school rooftops. The stored water will then be used to improve groundwater recharge and revive dry borewells in different parts of the city. Officials believe the project will not only reduce water wastage but also help Delhi deal with growing water shortages in the future. A high-level meeting was recently held to review the condition of existing rainwater harvesting systems in government schools. During the meeting, officials presented reports highlighting the current status of the systems, their shortcomings, and plans for redevelopment. The government stated that the modernization project aims to make water management in schools more effective and sustainable. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta explained that Delhi receives an average annual rainfall of around 775 mm. She added that a rooftop area of nearly 2,500 square feet can conserve about two lakh liters of water every year. According to officials, this amount is enough to meet the yearly water needs of a family of five. Keeping this in mind, the government decided to introduce rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in 75 schools under the CM Shri initiative. The Delhi government also claimed that government school rooftops alone have the potential to conserve nearly 130 million liters of rainwater annually. To achieve this target, the schools will adopt a rainwater harvesting model developed by the non-governmental organization Ahsaas. The model was approved by the Delhi Jal Board in 2021. Officials described the model as low-cost, space-efficient, and almost maintenance-free. Under the system, rainwater collected from rooftops will pass through filtration units before being connected to storage tanks and borewells. The government believes this initiative will significantly improve groundwater levels while encouraging students to become more aware of environmental conservation and sustainable water management practices.