Delhi IGI Becomes India’s First Water-Positive Mega Airport
This means the airport replenishes more water than it consumes and by harvesting rainwater, recycling wastewater, and minimising consumption, the airport significantly reduces pressure on local water sources
New Delhi: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has become the country’s first airport with a capacity of more than 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to achieve a “water-positive” status. This means the airport replenishes more water than it consumes and by harvesting rainwater, recycling wastewater, and minimising consumption, the airport significantly reduces pressure on local water sources.
IGIA is already Asia’s first airport in its category to achieve Level 5 Carbon Accreditation under Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.
GMR Aero led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Monday said the IGI airport is known for its environmental protection and sustainability measures. The achievement was recognised at the Water Innovation Summit 2025 where DIAL was felicitated for successfully achieving Scope I Water Neutrality under the NITI Aayog–CII Water Neutrality Framework.
As part of water management and sustainability efforts, more than 625 rainwater-harvesting structures have been installed across the IGI airport. Two newly commissioned underground reservoirs with a combined capacity of 9 million litres enable significant rainwater capture and storage, DIAL said.
There is zero-liquid discharge as a 16.6 Million Litters per Day (MLD) Zero-Liquid Discharge Sewage Treatment Plant recycles 100 per cent of airport wastewater. Treated water is reused for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and other non-potable applications.
DIAL officials said advanced systems such as sprinkler and drip irrigation 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.
“Water positivity not only reduces our dependence on natural resources but also enhances our resilience and climate readiness. IGIA is not just India’s busiest airport; it is one of the greenest airports in the country.” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO–DIAL.
