DoE, IGL, NGO sign MoU with Delhi govt for rainwater harvesting across CM Shree schools

Delhi government has inked an important tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday under the ‘Catch the Rain’ initiative between Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), the Directorate of Education (DoE) and Ehsaas NGO.

As part of the agreement, signed in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the rainwater harvesting project will be implemented across 75 CM Shri schools in the national capital under IGL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. It includes the audit and restoration of existing rainwater harvesting systems on school campuses as well as the installation of new rooftop rainwater harvesting systems.

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Water conservation and environmental awareness programmes will also be organised for students and teachers, officials said.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Gupta said water conservation is not merely an environmental necessity, but the foundation of a secure future for coming generations. The Delhi government is promoting education and environmental conservation together. This initiative will be an important step towards promoting sustainable water management in government schools.

She said the government’s goal is to make its schools exceptional so that parents could prefer enrolling their children in state schools rather than private ones.
According to Gupta, the initiative is an important step towards effectively implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Catch the Rain’ vision in Delhi and that the government has chosen to begin this effort with schools.

She shared that the initiative will not be limited to 75 schools, but the model would eventually be expanded to nearly 800 Delhi government schools.
Under the project, technical audits of the existing rainwater harvesting systems will be carried out in the selected 75 schools. It also includes cleaning and restoration of old water harvesting structures, recharge pits and filtration systems.
The project will be implemented by Ehsaas NGO, which is going to be responsible for ensuring safety standards, construction quality and the successful implementation and operation of the project.

The DoE will provide the necessary permissions and administrative support at school campuses, and will take responsibility for maintaining the systems on completion of project.

The project is expected to enable groundwater recharge of approximately two lakh litres annually in each school, helping strengthen water conservation and improve groundwater levels in the capital.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Ashish Sood has said that continuous efforts are being made to make CM Shri Schools distinct from ordinary schools, adding that these will not only be digitally enabled, but will also provide students with comprehensive knowledge of the modern curriculum in line with the National Education Policy, Science of Living and subjects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).