NITK Surathkal has inaugurated a rainwater harvesting and purification system capable of storing 3 crore litres of water and treating up to 10 lakh litres a day, strengthening the campus’s water supply ahead of recurring summer shortages. The facility, called the ‘NIT Lake’ project, has been connected to the National Institute of Technology Karnataka’s existing water distribution network.
The facility was inaugurated by M.M. Murugappan, chairman of the NITK Board of Governors, and NITK director Prof. B. Ravi. The rainwater storage lake was built 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, and was excavated to a depth of about 5 metres.
The project received support from alumni from the 1974, 1983 and 1999 batches, as well as the NITK Alumni Association. A water purification plant with a treatment capacity of 10 lakh litres a day was installed and made operational in February 2026 with support from Petronet MHB Limited.
Finovation Tech Solutions Private Limited supported the construction of a floating pumping station and an 850-metre underground pipeline connecting the storage lake to the purification plant. The treated water will be stored in sump tanks linked to the campus water supply network.
Two 15-horsepower open-well-type submersible pumps have been installed for the system. Each pump can move 25,200 litres of water per hour. One pump will be used for regular operations, while the second will serve as a standby unit.
NITK has faced water shortages during the summer every year, and the campus had previously reached a point where temporary closure was required because of inadequate water availability. The new system is intended to reduce that vulnerability by storing rainwater and routing it through a dedicated treatment facility before it enters the campus supply network.
Murugappan said the project would help prevent water problems during the summer by harvesting rainwater and connecting the purified supply to the campus distribution system. His statement comes amid concern over lower-than-expected rainfall in Karnataka this year and the possibility of drought conditions.
The project also places the campus’s water demand within a larger institutional infrastructure system: storage, pumping, treatment and distribution have been planned as linked components rather than as separate water-saving measures. The operational benefit will depend on the volume of water collected, the performance of the treatment plant and the continued functioning of the pumping and pipeline network.
Air Marshal B.U. Chengappa, NITK Alumni Association president Niranjan Mahabalappa, faculty members and staff attended the inauguration. The facility is now expected to support the campus water supply during the coming summer period.
