Megh Pine Campaign Boosts Groundwater Recharge in Dhanbad, India

The Megh Pine campaign, launched in 2005 to address flood‑prone areas of north Bihar, expanded to Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district in 2014. Led by campaign representative Ekla Vy Prasad, the initiative combines rain‑water harvesting, traditional well rejuvenation and community participation to tackle chronic groundwater scarcity.

A detailed hydro‑geological study of about 5,000 ha in the Balipura, Tundi and East Tundi blocks—conducted with the Ministry of Rural Development and UNDP—identified a model that merges local knowledge with watershed planning. The program also engaged 20 students from Karmel School in a “Gangs of 20” mentorship, producing a participatory action research framework on urban groundwater.

Since June 5 2018, a rooftop rain‑water harvesting system at the Uttarayan campus has been monitored for daily rainfall, well levels and recharge rates. By 31 July 2026 the system had diverted roughly 5.99 million litres of rainwater into the shallow aquifer, demonstrating a scalable, sustainable solution for safe drinking water and groundwater management in the region.