Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) unveiled the ‘Thuli’ logo for rainwater harvesting awareness and launched a statewide campaign to promote rainwater conservation among the public.
The Chief Minister attended the programme organised by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department at the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board in Chepauk, Chennai. He unveiled the logo and inspected a model house showcasing a rainwater harvesting system set up at the venue.
Later, at Marina Beach, Vijay launched a rainwater harvesting awareness programme and watched a short film aimed at educating the public about rainwater conservation across all municipal corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and village panchayats in Tamil Nadu.
Rainwater Harvesting Awareness Initiative
Water is an essential natural resource for domestic consumption, agriculture, industry and ecological needs. In view of increasing water demand, urbanisation, changing rainfall patterns and climate change, collecting and effectively utilising rainwater, while protecting groundwater resources, has become increasingly important.
With the objective of turning rainwater harvesting into a people’s movement across Tamil Nadu, the state government is taking steps to launch a special campaign. Its key objectives include renovating existing rainwater harvesting structures, creating new facilities, protecting groundwater resources and raising groundwater levels.
Guidelines have already been issued for installing rainwater harvesting systems in government offices, residential buildings and other structures as part of these efforts.
Accordingly, rainwater harvesting systems across all districts will be inspected and renovated wherever necessary. Government offices and local bodies must ensure that all such systems under their control remain fully functional.
Officials concerned will inspect rainwater harvesting facilities in public buildings, schools, hospitals, apartment complexes and commercial establishments. The inspections will cover rooftops, water channels, filter chambers, groundwater recharge pits and wells.
Rules relating to rainwater harvesting prescribed under building approval regulations for urban and rural local bodies will be implemented effectively. In addition to new buildings, owners of existing houses, apartment complexes, institutions, commercial complexes and industrial establishments will be encouraged to install rainwater harvesting systems.
Depending on soil characteristics, underground formations and local hydrological conditions, suitable structures such as rainwater recharge trenches, percolation pits, recharge wells, silt traps and filtration systems will also be developed.
Government departments and local bodies must take the necessary steps to collect and reuse rainwater on their premises and facilitate groundwater recharge. Wherever technically feasible, rainwater harvesting measures will also be incorporated into new urban and rural drinking water supply projects.
To transform rainwater harvesting into a people’s movement, awareness activities will be conducted across the state in coordination with government departments, local bodies, educational institutions, residents’ welfare associations, self-help groups, voluntary organisations, industries and community organisations.
Training sessions and demonstrations will be organised for local body officials and engineers, teachers, students, self-help groups, residents’ welfare associations and community volunteers.
Members of the public and institutions will be encouraged to collect rainwater at the point of origin, use it appropriately and maintain harvesting structures regularly.
Urban and rural local bodies will maintain records of existing rainwater harvesting systems, structures that have been renovated or repaired, newly constructed facilities and awareness activities undertaken. Wherever possible, progress will be documented through photographs, geotagging and online reporting systems.
Districts, urban and rural local bodies, schools, colleges, government institutions, residents’ welfare associations and community organisations that perform exceptionally well in rainwater harvesting initiatives will be considered for appropriate recognition and awards.
The campaign will also be integrated with existing programmes relating to rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, watershed development, urban water management, rural development and strengthening resilience to climate change. This integration is expected to ensure efficient use of available resources and prevent duplication of work.
The Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department will serve as the nodal department for the initiative. It will coordinate implementation and monitoring with the departments concerned, district administrations and local bodies.
The government has urged the public to renovate and properly maintain rainwater harvesting systems in their homes and institutions, collect and utilise rainwater, and contribute to water conservation by supporting the state’s initiative.
Ministers and Senior Officials Attend
The programme was attended by Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna; Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Rajmohan; Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services Dr R. Kumar; and Minister for Finance, Planning and Development N. Mariya Wilson.
Chief Secretary Dr M. Sai Kumar, IAS; Additional Chief Secretary to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS; Principal Secretary to the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, IAS; secretaries of various government departments, heads of departments and senior government officials were also present.
Issued by: Director, Department of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9.
