World Water Day: IGI airport in Delhi to get two underground reservoirs for rainwater harvesting

Continuing with its sustainable development measures, the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is soon going to get two underground reservoirs for rainwater harvesting. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Infrastructure-led consortium that manages the airport is set to add this provision to harvest nine million litres of rainwater. Read on to know more about this sustainable development move announced by the IGI Airport authorities on World Water Day.

Turning IGI into a water positive airport

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According to the announcement made by the officials on Tuesday, one reservoir near Terminal 1 and another one at Terminal 2 will become functional before the upcoming monsoon season. The stored water will help in meeting the demand for water at the airport and assist in water sustenance at the airport. With the help of this move, the DIAL officials aim to turn the Delhi Airport into a water positive airport soon.

Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, the CEO of DIAL said, "Water is a scarce resource and managing it is crucial for the sustenance of business, community and ecology. We are committed to improving water sustenance at the Delhi Airport. We are taking various measures and also exploring possibilities towards becoming a water positive airport in the near future."

300 rainwater harvesting structures to come up at IGI

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So far, DIAL has set up more than 350 rainwater harvesting structures and is aiming to install 300 more structures at the Delhi Airport. In addition to this, the consortium had also developed a 16.6 MLD zero liquid discharge sewage treatment plant (STP) within the airport to recycle and reuse wastewater. The STP treats the entire wastewater generated at the airport. The treated water is then used for heating ventilation and air-conditioning, irrigation purposes and toilet flushing at the airport.

According to a DIAL spokesperson, the consortium has also established a state-of-the-art water treatment plant that can provide 5 million litres of best quality water on a daily basis for passengers with minimum wastage during the treatment process. This facility optimises water consumption in the maintenance of greenery around the airport by using sprinklers and drip systems.

What is rainwater harvesting?

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Rainwater harvesting is basically a practice that is used to accumulate, store and save water for future usage. India has been practising rainwater harvesting since ancient times. Saving the rainwater can aid in recharging local aquifers, reduce the risk of urban flooding and most importantly ensure availability of water in water-scarce zones.

Notably, it is mandatory for each building to have a provision for rainwater harvesting in Tamil Nadu. It was the first state in India to make this practice compulsory for every building in order to prevent groundwater depletion. The rainwater harvesting technique now being used at the Delhi airport is another step towards the same, and will make way for more such big facilities to adopt similar measures.