Every monsoon, rain floods Indian cities and drains away unused. But on some campuses, every drop is stored, filtered and sent back into the ground. Here are six colleges doing it differently.
Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, has operated a rooftop rainwater harvesting system since the late 1990s, embedding sustainability into daily campus life.
Rain from the library and campus roofs flows via pipes into recharge pits to replenish groundwater. Monitored by Green Beans Society and upgraded with FORCE support, it combats water scarcity sustainably
Since 2001–02, Jamia Hamdard has run a large-scale rainwater harvesting system capturing over 60,000 cubic metres yearly from rooftops, runoff and Jahanpanah Forest.
Water passes through desilting tanks and pebble filters into around 12 recharge wells, reaching 20–30m deep borewells — boosting tubewell yield and groundwater levels.
IIM Ahmedabad runs a long-standing rainwater harvesting system with 18 recharge borewells and a central pond, capturing nearly every raindrop across both campuses.
Runoff is filtered before entering recharge wells. With STPs and greywater reuse for irrigation, IIM-A maximises conservation and strengthens groundwater recharge.
IPCW runs seven active rainwater harvesting pits as part of its Net Zero vision, integrating water conservation with solar energy, waste segregation and green cover.
Rainwater from rooftops and paved areas is channelled into seven recharge pits, where it percolates into the soil, boosting groundwater beneath its botanical-rich campus.
Since June 2001, JDMC has run a rainwater harvesting system covering 32,170 m², harvesting 6.88 million litres yearly and winning a CM award for impact.
Rooftop runoff flows into three recharge wells and 15m borewells, while surface water drains via a trench into an open well—raising water levels by 10.6m.
With a 44-lakh-litre storage capacity across PG and Administrative blocks, Kristu Jayanti’s harvesting system anchors its Green Campus Gold sustainability rating.
Rooftops, quadrangles and runoff feed a 24-lakh ‘matka’ tank and a 20-lakh ‘Thunka’ pit. Multi-layer natural filters clean water, reducing borewell and tanker use.