Delhi's IGI Airport Becomes India’s First High-Capacity Airport To Achieve Water-Positive Status

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has reached a major sustainability milestone, becoming the first airport in the country handling over 40 million passengers a year to secure water-positive status. The achievement marks a significant shift for a facility once operating in a groundwater-stressed region, and reflects Delhi International Airport Limited’s (DIAL) broader ambition to shape a climate-resilient aviation hub.

Delhi IGI Airport's Strategic Step Towards Long-Term Climate Goals

DIAL’s CEO, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, described the certification as a meaningful stride in the airport’s journey towards net-zero emissions. He noted that replenishing more water than the airport consumes strengthens its ability to adapt to climate risks and reduces pressure on natural resources—both essential pillars of its sustainability roadmap.

Delhi airport’s water-positive recognition was formally awarded at the Water Innovation Summit 2025 in New Delhi, where DIAL was honoured for achieving Scope I Water Neutrality under the NITI Aayog–CII framework. The assessment acknowledged the airport’s rigorous planning, measurement and conservation practices at both facility and watershed levels.

How Delhi IGI Airport Reengineered Its Water Footprint

Across the airport grounds, an extensive rainwater collection network—comprising more than 625 harvesting structures—captures runoff during the wet season. This system is reinforced by two new underground tanks that can hold a combined total of nine million litres, helping the airport store and utilise monsoon rain far more effectively.

A major driver of the airport’s water-positive status is its 16.6-MLD zero-liquid-discharge treatment facility. All wastewater produced on site is fully processed and channelled back into operations that do not require drinking-quality water, such as cooling systems, gardening, and washroom flushing. This ensures that no wastewater leaves the premises untreated.

To further minimise consumption, IGIA has adopted modern irrigation technologies—including drip and sprinkler systems—that deliver water precisely where it’s needed. Passenger areas, meanwhile, are served by a dedicated purification plant that provides high-quality drinking water while keeping losses to a minimum.

By combining large-scale rainwater harvesting, full wastewater recycling and efficiency-driven infrastructure, the airport has demonstrated how high-traffic aviation hubs can balance operational growth with sustainability and environmental responsibility.

DIAL’s leadership emphasises that this milestone is part of a broader vision: to transform IGIA into one of the world’s most environmentally conscious airports, resilient to climate challenges and committed to responsible resource stewardship.

(With inputs from multiple sources.)

FAQs

Why is IGIA’s water-positive status significant?
It marks the first time a high-capacity Indian airport has achieved this benchmark, showcasing its leadership in sustainable aviation and resource stewardship.

How does IGIA recycle its wastewater?
The airport uses a 16.6-MLD zero-liquid-discharge treatment plant that cleans all wastewater and repurposes it for uses such as cooling systems, irrigation and toilet flushing.

How is rainwater harvested at the airport?
A network of more than 625 harvesting structures, supported by two large underground reservoirs, captures and stores monsoon rain for later use.