CSIR-NGRI launches enhanced rain gardens pilot to improve stormwater harvesting

An upgraded ‘Rain Gardens Pilot R&D Facility’ of the CSIR–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR‑NGRI), a science‑driven initiative aimed at enhancing groundwater recharge and strengthening urban water resilience through green infrastructure, was inaugurated on the institute’s campus on Wednesday.

NGRI Research Council Chairman Shailesh Nayak inaugurated the upgraded facility in the presence of Institute Director Prakash Kumar, senior scientist M. J. Nandan, and other officials. The latest upgrade included a redesigned hydraulic layout to handle higher runoff volumes; optimisation of engineered soil media to improve infiltration efficiency; strengthening of inlet–outlet structures for regulated flow; and the integration of geological, hydrogeological and geophysical data to enhance aquifer recharge pathways.

The improvements have resulted in an average groundwater rise of 2.3 metres and enabled the sustainable withdrawal of about 46,000 litres of water per day for horticulture needs on the campus. The project began in 2007 as an in‑situ stormwater harvesting experiment, featuring nine recharge ponds and a rain garden designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff.

The system harvested nearly 200 cubic metres of water per rainfall event, leading to a groundwater level increase of about 1.5 metres, demonstrating the effectiveness of decentralised rain‑garden systems in semi‑arid urban environments. The facility now serves as a demonstration and research platform for scalable urban stormwater harvesting and managed aquifer recharge technologies, according to a press release.