Municipal body selects 10 major locations for scientific rainwater harvesting under a new centrally backed pilot project.

Facing a steady decline in its underground water table and the looming threat of seasonal water scarcity, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has initiated a targeted groundwater recharge project across the city. The initiative is being executed with technical and financial backing from IIT Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).

Central Body Selects Indore

The project is part of a broader national assessment by the NIUA, which identified 75 cities across India experiencing severe groundwater depletion. In Madhya Pradesh, only Indore, Dewas, and Ujjain made the final list. Local authorities confirmed that the primary goal here is to establish functional rainwater harvesting systems while mitigating urban waterlogging during the monsoon.

According to municipal officials, the engineering blueprint focuses on recharging shallow aquifers using scientific filtration methods. The civic body has already earmarked ₹50 lakh for the initial phase of development, which will be carried out under the direct monitoring of Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and Municipal Commissioner Kshitij Singhal.

Detailed Survey Fixes Sites

Before finalizing the project sites, a technical team from IIT Roorkee conducted an extensive lithological data analysis, mapping Indore’s historical rainfall patterns, soil permeability, and localized flooding history.

Sources familiar with the matter said the experts inspected 20 vulnerable spots between January and April this year. Based on feasibility and technical viability, the civic body narrowed the list down to 10 priority locations for the first phase of implementation.

Priority Locations for Recharge

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) lists a mix of public parks, dry government installations, and low-lying residential sectors for the intervention. The chosen sites include:

• Nehru Stadium and Regional Park

• Labour Commissioner Office Campus

• The dry borewell at Gandhi Hall

• Waghmare ka Bagicha and Revati Hills

• Nipania zone and Vallabh Nagar Baoli

• Siddheshwar Temple Campus and the ground opposite the MPPSC office.

Dual Filtering System Planned

Ground-level cues indicate that the drainage department has already initiated the tender process for these locations. The civil work will involve setting up dedicated diversion channels, collection tanks, and automated filter chambers.

To prevent chemical contaminants or silt from entering the shallow aquifers, the recharge shafts will use an multi-layered filter media. This includes sand, gravel aggregates, and activated charcoal to purify surface runoff before it is injected back into the ground. IMC engineers hope this will resolve severe waterlogging issues in dense spots like Nipania and Vallabh Nagar.

Nehru Stadium Model Site

The Nehru Stadium has been designated as the flagship model site for the entire project. Engineers have calculated that runoff from a catchment area of roughly 5,315 square meters inside the stadium complex will be intercepted.

Catchment Area: 5,315 sq meters

Estimated Daily Recharge: 51 cubic meters of rainwater

Once operational, the stadium infrastructure alone is expected to pump back approximately 51 cubic meters of filtered water into the earth daily during peak monsoon days, acting as a real-time proof of concept for local groundwater recharge.

Long-term Urban Water Security

Urban planners view this low-cost, high-impact model as a critical step toward sustainable water management. Apart from stabilizing the falling water table, the system is designed to reduce the city’s heavy summer reliance on water tankers and distant piped supplies like the Narmada project.

The IMC drainage wing expects construction to begin immediately after the tendering formalities conclude over the next few weeks, aiming to catch the late spells of the upcoming wet season.