New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): In a major push for water conservation, the Delhi Government has decided to revive and make functional the existing rainwater harvesting systems in 75 CM Shri Schools across the capital, the chief minister's office said.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the 'initiative is expected to create an annual rainwater harvesting capacity of nearly 50 Crore litres.'

A detailed presentation on the project was recently made before the CM, outlining the current condition of rainwater harvesting structures in schools, the shortcomings identified during inspections, and the roadmap for restoring them.

Gupta said, 'The government's objective is to strengthen rainwater conservation, improve groundwater recharge, and foster greater awareness about water conservation among students and the wider community. As part of the exercise, a comprehensive audit of rainwater harvesting infrastructure in 75 CM Shri Schools has already been conducted.'

Highlighting the importance of rainwater harvesting, the Chief Minister said Delhi receives an average annual rainfall of about 775 mm, and a rooftop area of roughly 2,500 square feet can help conserve nearly 2,00,000 litres of rainwater every year. Such a quantity, she noted, can meet the annual water needs of a family of five. The harvested water can be used for drinking, gardening, cleaning, flushing and several other purposes.

Gupta said the government will adopt the 'Ehsaas' model for rainwater harvesting in schools. Approved by the Delhi Jal Board in 2021, the model is known for its low cost, minimal space requirement and near-zero maintenance. Under the system, rainwater collected from rooftops will be filtered and connected to storage units and borewells, helping recharge groundwater and even revive dry borewells.

CM Gupta further said technical teams have completed inspections of all 75 schools and submitted their reports. The audit found that while most schools already had rainwater harvesting systems in place, many had remained non-functional for years or had not been maintained properly.

Several harvesting pits were found completely blocked, while others were filled with plastic waste, silt, debris and garbage. In some cases, school authorities were unaware that such structures even existed on their premises. The inspection also revealed that rainwater was flowing directly into drains at many locations, defeating the purpose of water conservation. Design-related deficiencies were also identified in several structures.

To address these issues, the government has prepared a detailed corrective action plan. The measures include connecting rainwater pipes to appropriate channels, ensuring regular cleaning of drainage pathways, desilting harvesting pits, replacing filter media, and providing larger manholes and safer access points for maintenance. An effective rooftop rainwater harvesting system will also be installed in every school to facilitate rainwater storage and groundwater recharge.

The CM said school rooftops alone have the potential to conserve nearly 130 million litres of rainwater annually, while the total catchment capacity across the 75 schools could reach around 50 crores of litres each year. She also announced that a dedicated budget provision will be made for the maintenance and upkeep of rainwater harvesting systems in every school.

As part of the campaign, awareness workshops on water conservation will be organised for students, teachers and parents in all participating schools. The CM said the Delhi Government is committed to turning water conservation into a people's movement, with schools playing a key role in nurturing a culture of responsible water use among children and society at large. She added that the initiative is expected to emerge as a significant model for groundwater conservation and environmental protection in the years ahead. (ANI)