Clean Water and Sanitation

Textile production and the Noyyal River

Faculty expertise includes a 2017 study of dyeing and textile activity in Tiruppur and its effect on Noyyal River water quality. The work connects production and treatment decisions with environmental conditions beyond the factory boundary. The study looks at a region where industrial production and river health are closely connected, drawing attention to what can happen when manufacturing activity places pressure on surrounding water systems. The work brings water into a wider conversation about operations and responsible business. Decisions about production, treatment, supply chains and industrial growth can have consequences beyond the boundaries of an individual company.

Using less water at DLF Cyber Park

Part of the Masters’ Union campus operates within DLF Cyber Park, where water-management systems are provided and managed at the building level. The development has achieved an 82.65% reduction in building water demand against the GRIHA base case through water-efficient fixtures and building systems. DLF Cyber Park’s January 2022 LEED O+M Platinum scorecard awards 13 of 15 points for Water Efficiency, complementing the separate GRIHA findings on reduced water demand. These are building-level outcomes delivered by DLF, but they shape the infrastructure used by Masters’ Union students and employees every day.

Treating and reusing wastewater

DLF Cyber Park operates a 1,300 kLD sewage-treatment plant using Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology. Treated wastewater is reused for landscaping, flushing and cooling, reducing demand for freshwater across the development. Irrigation systems regulate the amount of water supplied to landscaped areas, while metering and sub-metering help facility teams monitor consumption and identify avoidable losses. This keeps water in productive use for longer while reducing pressure on freshwater supplies.

Water management at CDS Corporate Tower

Masters’ Union also operates from CDS Corporate Tower, which holds LEED Gold certification. The building achieved 8 out of 11 available Water Efficiency points, with its assessment recognising indoor and outdoor water-use reduction, water metering and rainwater management. Together, the two developments show how everyday commercial buildings can combine measurement, efficient fixtures, wastewater treatment and reuse to reduce water demand.

Safe water and sanitation on campus

Students, employees and authorised visitors have access to drinking water and sanitation facilities across Masters’ Union's occupied spaces. The wider campus environment uses water-efficient fittings including controlled-flow taps and dual-flush sanitation systems, while water-quality checks support access to potable water. Awareness signage also encourages students and employees to use water more consciously in everyday settings.

Water efficiency at CDS Corporate Tower

CDS Corporate Tower’s LEED v4.1 Core and Shell assessment earned full marks for indoor water use reduction (4 of 4), outdoor water use reduction (3 of 3), rainwater management (3 of 3) and water metering (1 of 1), for 8 of 11 points under Water Efficiency. In practice, this reflects fixtures that cut indoor and outdoor water use, systems that manage rainwater and meters that show how much water the building uses.

At Miranda House, students examined circular economy, sustainable supply chains and responsible consumption. At Hansraj College, the programme connected climate action and ESG with resource management. Programmes at SGGSCC and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College introduced students to responsible business, environmental measurement and sustainability problem-solving. Water forms part of this wider discussion about how organisations consume, measure and protect natural resources.

Joining industry conversations on water

Masters’ Union also participates in industry discussions through its relationship with ASSOCHAM. Through ASSOCHAM, Masters’ Union has participated in a joint meeting of the National Council on Sustainability & Environment and the National Council on Water in New Delhi. The programme brought together industry leaders and sustainability practitioners to discuss water stewardship, resource efficiency, environmental governance and sustainable business practices. Engagements like these connect classroom learning with the questions companies and industry bodies are addressing as water becomes an increasingly important operational and environmental issue.

Studying water through sustainable business

The PG Programme in Sustainability and Business Management gives students a broader understanding of how natural-resource use enters business strategy and operations. Students study sustainability strategy, environmental policy, ESG, climate resilience, circular economy and responsible resource management. Water is considered within this wider business context. Students examine how organisations can reduce consumption, manage environmental risks and make resource use part of operational decision-making. The ClimateTech course adds a technology perspective by examining how AI, IoT and other emerging technologies can improve resource monitoring and efficiency. Together, these areas help students see water as a resource that organisations need to measure, manage and protect.

Learning about water in rural Maharashtra

Through the Swades Foundation immersion, students spend time in rural Maharashtra learning about integrated community development. Water is considered alongside livelihoods, health, education and community institutions. Students encounter approaches to water conservation, decentralised solutions and community management, giving them a closer understanding of how reliable access to water can affect household health, agriculture and economic resilience. The experience shows why water management can look very different outside a large urban commercial development.

Learning from regenerative systems at TIEEDI

At TIEEDI in Darjeeling, students encounter permaculture, natural farming, ecological restoration and circular resource management. Here, water is understood as part of a wider ecological system. Students see how soil, agriculture, waste and resource use interact, and how regenerative approaches try to keep natural resources in productive use without separating one environmental problem from another.

The immersion complements what students see in Gurugram. On campus, water stewardship appears through fixtures, meters, treatment plants and reuse systems. At TIEEDI, it appears through soil, farming and ecological relationships.