Madurai Airport includes recycled water for sustainable landscape design
Madurai Airport has started the daily use of treated wastewater from the city's wastewater treatment infrastructure in order to meet the requirements for landscape design and the greenish maintenance requirement.
The initiative, a product of formal cooperation between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Madurai Municipal Corporation, aims to save drinking water and at the same time maintain a green area over the airport's premises. As part of these efforts, 4 LAKH -LITER is now delivered to the airport from the Vellical Sewage Sewage Plant (STP). The recovered water is shown for the irrigation of green in the airport landscape and for ongoing construction areas, including the new ATC tower (New Air Treat Control Control).
This step follows a memorandum of understanding, which was signed in 2022 between the citizens' body and AAI for the double supply of drinking water and treated water to the airport. Overall, the agreement prescribes a daily provision of 2 LAKH liters of drinking water and 4 LAKH -Liter -treated water. To make this easier, two independent pipelines were placed – drinking water from the Vellakal overhead tank and a further connection to the Vella or Avaniyapuram STP for treated wastewater delivery. Officials who monitor the airport company indicated that the project was completed at a price of 2.25 billion GBP. The Madurai Municipal Corporation has set the tariff for 80 GBP per kiloliter for drinking water and 15.90 GBP per kiloliter for treated water. Based on this rate, the daily water for the airport costs about 22,360 GBP. In order to promote accountability and water efficiency, water meters are installed in order to monitor the use in both pipelines.
While the supply of treated water has already started, the drinking water connection is currently under a test run. The authorities expect their operationalization in the coming weeks after successful tests and quality assurance tests. The decision to include treated water in daily operation is a crucial moment for Madurai's urban water management. It shows a progressive step towards sustainable infrastructure and resource roundness in public institutions. Airports, which often rely on freshwater sources for cleaning, cooling and landscape maintenance, are deleted on greener alternatives due to the increasing awareness of climate economy and environmentally conscious urban planning.
According to civil civil servants, the treated water, which is sent to the airport, will run through several filtration levels and does not meet loyal reusing standards, which are determined by guidelines to control the pollution. By redirecting this resource into green rooms instead of wasting it, the city also relieves the load on the freshwater reserves. This initiative also signals a broader institutional shift. Since Tamil Nadu occurred irregular precipitation patterns and increasing water requirements, the state agencies have increasingly regarded the reuse of water as a strategic priority. The state capital of Chennai has already experimented with decentralized resources for industrial and landscape purposes. Madurai's model – especially in view of its integration into the airport infrastructure – continues to accept this trend.
Awem experts praised the project for its focus on sustainable urban goals. They find that the practice of using recessed water for irrigation and non -consumer purposes not only reduces the dependence on groundwater, but also places a precedent for other large -scale institutions. The decision to invest in double pipe and water measurement also reflects long-term thinking in resource management. City planners believe that the shift in the airport could catalyze similar initiatives in industrial companies, parks and institutional locations in Tamil Nadu. The financial feasibility of the water reusing model – in particular the lower tariff for treated water – offers a sustainable blueprint for other municipalities who want to reduce the ecological footprint of public infrastructure.
While the initiative of the airport is largely a technical and logistical milestone, it has a significant symbolic value. It signals an institutional engagement for the climate-oriented infrastructure and integrates sustainable water practices into the daily functioning of citizens' and traffic nodes. Madurai, a cultural city that brings tourism, trade and industrial activities in harmony, looks like the growing pressure to optimize its water resources under the climate conditions. The cooperation between the AAI and the bourgeois body shows how the coordination between the agencies can achieve functional, environmentally friendly results.
With regard to the future, the officials have found that the airport may examine further applications for recessed water, possibly in fire control systems and cooling towers, subject to regulating permits and technical ratings. The successful implementation of this environmentally friendly infrastructure measurement initially sets the tone of what urban resilience could look like – where cooperation, technology and environmental ethics converge
Madurai Airport includes recycled water for sustainable landscape design
