Prayavgraj, 24 Sept (HS): Rain comes,

leaves its mark and moves on. But what if every drop could stay back and give

something to the earth? What if the same drop could travel beneath the ground

and become part of the water stored for tomorrow? North Central Railway is

giving rainwater a different journey by promoting rainwater harvesting and

groundwater recharge through practical, sustainable solutions that capture

rainwater, reduce runoff and return it to the ground.

The basic idea is simple - collect the

rain, filter it and let it return to the ground. Water from rooftops and other

suitable areas is channelled to recharge pits, soak pits, existing wells and

borewells. After filtration, the water gradually seeps into the soil, helping

replenish groundwater. The soil also acts as a natural filtering layer as the

water moves underground.

The scale of the effort is visible across

NCR’s three divisions The effort has already taken shape across Agra, Prayagraj

and Jhansi divisions. As of September 18, 2026, NCR had completed 124

rainwater-harvesting installations, including 38 in Agra Division, 41 in Prayagraj

Division and 45 in Jhansi Division.

In Jhansi Division, rainwater harvesting is

being implemented through different solutions suited to individual locations.

Installations have been taken up at Mahoba, Paman, Malasa, Ata, Bhua, Mustra,

Chirgaon, Parichha, Jhansi and Gwalior, among several other railway locations.

At Mahoba, rooftop rainwater is channelled into an existing old well, allowing

it to gradually percolate into the surrounding soil. At Paman, a dry borewell

is being used for groundwater recharge, while Jal Tara and soak-pit systems

have been adopted at locations such as Malasa and Ata. At Jhansi, recharge

systems have been provided at railway colonies, the BTC AC Loco Shed and other

railway premises, while Gwalior has also taken up recharge-pit based systems to

make effective use of rainwater.

In Prayagraj Division, rainwater harvesting

has been taken up at 41 locations, with different recharge solutions adopted

according to the site. At places such as Prayagraj, Kanpur, Etawah, Firozabad,

Hathras, Dadri, Dankaur, Chunar, Lusa and Khairahi, rainwater collected from

railway buildings and other suitable surfaces is guided through pipes and

filtration arrangements before being allowed to percolate into the soil. At

suitable locations, existing deep bores are also being reused as recharge

points, turning idle railway assets into useful links to the groundwater below.

The division is also making use of existing

borewells and deep-bore structures wherever technically feasible. Instead of

allowing rainwater to flow away as surface runoff, it is channelled through

pipes and suitable filtration or first-flush arrangements before being directed

into these existing structures for groundwater recharge. This approach not only

gives rainwater a route back into the ground but also puts unused railway

assets to productive use, reducing the need for new recharge structures at such

locations.

Across NCR, therefore, rainwater harvesting

is not being treated as a single standard structure. The solution changes with

the location - but the objective remains consistent: capture rainfall where it

falls, filter it appropriately, reduce unnecessary runoff and use suitable

railway infrastructure to help replenish groundwater.

The approach may differ - from old wells

and dry bores to soak pits and dedicated recharge structures - but the purpose

remains the same: to retain more rainwater within railway premises and return

it to the ground. What would otherwise be a passing monsoon shower is thus

being given a longer journey - from rooftop to recharge, and from rain to

groundwater.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi