New Delhi: In a major push for water conservation, Delhi government announced to revive and make functional rainwater harvesting systems in 75 CM Shri Schools across the capital before the monsoon season, with an estimated annual conservation capacity of nearly 50 crore litres of water.
The initiative aims to improve groundwater recharge, strengthen water conservation and promote awareness among students and local communities.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said, Delhi Government aims to strengthen rainwater conservation, improve groundwater levels and promote water-saving awareness among students and communities.
Gupta added that the government will implement the low-cost ‘Ehsaas’ model, approved by the Delhi Jal Board in 2021, under which rooftop rainwater will be filtered and channelled into storage units and borewells for groundwater recharge.
According to the government, audits conducted in all 75 schools found that many existing rainwater harvesting systems had remained non-functional for years due to poor maintenance, blocked pits, plastic waste, silt and design deficiencies. In several schools, rainwater was reportedly flowing directly into drains instead of being conserved.
The government has now prepared a corrective action plan that includes desilting pits, replacing filter media, improving drainage connections and installing effective rooftop harvesting systems in every school.
CM Rekha Gupta said school rooftops alone could conserve nearly 130 million litres of rainwater annually, while awareness workshops for students, teachers and parents will also be organised as part of the campaign.
