Delhi’s IGI given ‘water-positive’ status

IGI is the first airport in the country with a capacity of over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to achieve this benchmark.

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has been awarded the “water positive” status by CII-Triveni Water Institute, meaning the establishment restores more water back to the environment than it is utilising. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Monday said that IGI is the first airport in the country with a capacity of over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to achieve this benchmark.

DIAL said this has been achieved through multiple sources of groundwater recharge. (HT File Photo)

DIAL said this has been achieved through multiple sources of groundwater recharge, such as 625 rainwater-harvesting structures which have been installed across the airport. Further, there are two newly commissioned underground reservoirs with a combined capacity of 9 million litres, officials said. “These enable significant groundwater recharge and storage,” a DIAL spokesperson said.

Further, the airport has a 16.6 million litres per day (MLD) zero-liquid discharge Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) which recycles 100% of the airport’s wastewater.

“Treated water is reused for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and other non-potable applications,” the DIAL spokesperson said.

Other practices include sprinkler and drip irrigation to ensure efficient water use across landscaped areas; and a state-of-the-art water treatment plant provides high-quality potable water to passengers with minimal wastage.

DIAL’s achievement was formally recognised at the Water Innovation Summit 2025, held recently where it was felicitated for successfully achieving Scope I Water Neutrality under the NITI Aayog–CII Water Neutrality Framework.

Commenting on the milestone, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO–DIAL, said: “Becoming water-positive reflects our deep commitment to responsible resource use, environmental stewardship, and the future of aviation infrastructure. More importantly, this achievement is a significant step towards our long-term vision of strengthening IGI’s position as a net zero airport. Water positivity not only reduces our dependence on natural resources but also enhances our resilience and climate readiness.”