The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) in Surathkal has commissioned a rainwater harvesting and purification project with storage capacity of 3 crore litres and a treatment plant capable of processing 10 lakh litres of water every day. The facility is intended to strengthen the campus water supply during the summer period, when the institute has faced recurring shortages.
The ‘NIT Lake’ project was inaugurated by NITK Board of Governors chairman M.M. Murugappan and NITK director Prof. B. Ravi. The rainwater storage lake was constructed in 2025 in a low-lying area in the northeastern part of the campus. It measures 110 metres in length and 50 metres in width, with excavation reaching an approximate depth of five metres.
The construction received support from alumni from the 1974, 1983 and 1999 batches, as well as the NITK Alumni Association. A water purification plant with a daily capacity of 10 lakh litres was installed and brought into operation in February 2026 with support from Petronet MHB Limited.
The system includes a floating pumping station and an 850-metre underground pipeline connecting the reservoir to the treatment plant. Finnovation Tech Solutions Private Limited supported the construction of these components. After treatment, the water will be stored in sump tanks connected to the campus water supply network.
Two 15-horsepower open-well-type submersible pumps have also been installed. Each pump can move 25,200 litres of water per hour. One pump has been designated for regular operation, while the second will serve as a standby unit, allowing the system to continue functioning if the primary pump requires maintenance or develops a fault.
NITK officials said the campus experiences water shortages every summer and had previously faced situations in which operations were temporarily affected. The institute also cited lower-than-expected rainfall in Karnataka this year and the resulting concern over drought conditions as reasons for prioritising the project.
Murugappan said the system would help prevent summer water problems by storing rainwater and routing it through the purification plant into the campus supply network. The project combines on-site storage, treatment and distribution infrastructure rather than relying only on external water supplies.
Air Marshal B.U. Chengappa, NITK Alumni Association president Niranjan Mahabalappa, faculty members and staff attended the inauguration. The project’s next operational milestone is its use through the coming summer period, when the institute’s water demand and the performance of the new storage and treatment system will be tested.
