Raipur govt school students earn praise from international judges for rainwater harvesting project

RAIPUR: With limited resources, two students from a government school in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur have earned praise from international judges for their project on rainwater harvesting and geospatial technology during a competition recently held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Tirupati.

The competition was organised on July 22 and witnessed participation from students representing six states across the country. Vartika Patil and Umeshwari Sahu of PG Umathe Excellent Government School were the only participants from Chhattisgarh.

Conducting a survey of 400 households, utilising modern tools such as Google Earth and spreading awareness about water conservation, the two students presented their project titled ‘Building Sponge City Together’ on the BRICS 2026 platform.

Behind Vartika’s achievement also lies the struggle of her mother, Jyoti Patil, who took up driving an auto-rickshaw after the death of her husband to support the family and ensure her daughter’s education.

#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Vartika Patil says, “We participated in BRICS 2026 with our project, Building Sponge City Together, and presented it at IIT Tirupati. Judges at the event appreciated the project and encouraged us to develop it further…” (06.08) https://t.co/xM1zhNY787 pic.twitter.com/VT68Fnb6AY

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 7, 2026

“I am a student of Class 8. I lost my father, and my mother works as an autorickshaw driver. We participated in BRICS 2026. We created a project titled ‘Building Sponge City Together’ and went to IIT Tirupati for the presentation. In this project, we surveyed 400 households using geospatial technology. We used applications like Google Earth to build this project. We presented this project at IIT Tirupati,” Vartika said.

She further added that the international judges who evaluated the project encouraged them to take it forward, saying it could help India deal with water scarcity, a global challenge. Through the presentation, the students highlighted the importance of conserving every drop of rainwater and showcased the benefits of rainwater harvesting. “Through this project, we got to learn about geospatial technology,” she added.

According to Vartika, participants from six states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Haryana, took part in the competition, while only two students from Chhattisgarh were selected. She said they planned to take the project further and were preparing similar initiatives in the future.

Speaking about her future plans, Vartika said she aspires to serve the nation either by clearing the civil services examination or by becoming a scientist.

“I drive an autorickshaw for a living. My daughter went to Tirupati for the competition, and I am extremely proud of her. I want my daughter to advance further and achieve whatever she aspires to be. She wants to prepare for the IAS officer exam or become a scientist”, Jyoti Patil, Vartika’s mother said.

Jyoti said her husband passed away two years ago, after which she began driving an auto-rickshaw to support her three children. Earning a livelihood by driving an auto and taking care of three children is very tough, but she wants all her children to study and move ahead in life.

Umeshwari Sahu, a Class 7 student of the same school, said that ahead of participating in the IIT Tirupati competition, they participated in the BRICS 2026 competition. From Chhattisgarh, only they were selected in the competition which marked the participation of contestants from six states across the country took part in this event. They learned a lot while developing this project and had a plan to take this project forward.

Mita Shukla, teacher of PG Umathe Excellent Government School, said, “We are extremely proud that only two students of our school were selected from the entire state of Chhattisgarh for the BRICS 2026 competition. The girls were selected for their Rainwater Harvesting project, which was developed under the guidance of our school teacher.”

She further added that rainwater harvesting is crucial today, and keeping this in mind, the students built the project under mentor guidance.

Umeshwari Sahu said participating in the competition was a valuable learning experience and expressed hope that the project could be developed further.

#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Student Umeshwari Sahu says, “… We represented Chhattisgarh at the BRICS 2026 competition, where we were the state’s only participants. Students from six states across India took part. Our project focused on rainwater harvesting. Working on it… https://t.co/xM1zhNY787 pic.twitter.com/9zm1OpbCgp

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 7, 2026

“We represented Chhattisgarh at the BRICS 2026 competition, where we were the state’s only participants. Students from six states across India took part. Our project focused on rainwater harvesting. Working on it gave us valuable learning, and we hope to develop this project further,” she said. The participation reflects the growing emphasis on scientific innovation and environmental awareness among school students.

Water conservation has become an increasingly important issue in India as several regions face water scarcity, erratic rainfall and the effects of climate change. Rainwater harvesting is widely recognised as an effective method to replenish groundwater, reduce dependence on conventional water sources and improve water security.

The success of the two students highlights the importance of encouraging young minds to develop practical, environment-friendly solutions to climate challenges. Their participation at an international platform such as BRICS 2026 also highlights the potential of school-level research and innovation in contributing to sustainable development and inspiring other students to pursue science-driven solutions for environmental conservation. (ANI)