KL Deemed to be University, officially known as Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), has been honored with the “Leading Wastewater Treatment and Management Model Award” by the India Water Foundation (IWF). The prestigious recognition highlights the university’s innovative and technology-driven approach to water sustainability and conservation.
The award was presented during the Water Transversality Global Awards and Conclave 2026 held in New Delhi. Commander Gurumoorthy Gangadharan, Senior Director of Planning and Development at KLEF, received the honor from Shri Om Birla, the Honorable Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, at the summit’s prize distribution ceremony.
The recognition acknowledges the university’s comprehensive commitment to sustainable water management through an integrated framework. KLEF has implemented a 4R framework—Reduce, Recharge, Recycle, and Reuse—which enables efficient utilization of water resources across its entire campus infrastructure.
At the heart of the university’s water management system is a 2,180 KLD wastewater recycling facility that currently meets over 54 percent of the Vijayawada campus’s total water demand. The system employs advanced sewage treatment technologies, including Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) and ARBiT, which have improved water recovery efficiency from 53 percent to 74 percent.
The campus infrastructure includes 32 rainwater harvesting pits with a groundwater recharge capacity of nearly 3.7 lakh liters per day. This extensive rainwater harvesting network significantly strengthens the institution’s long-term water sustainability goals and reduces dependence on external water sources.
The combined water conservation initiatives have yielded measurable results across the campus. The university has achieved a 54 percent reduction in building water consumption and 42 percent savings in landscape irrigation through real-time water monitoring and efficient irrigation practices. These efforts support a green campus covering more than 10.6 lakh square feet.
Er. Koneru Satyanarayana, Chancellor of KL Deemed to be University, emphasized the broader significance of the achievement. He stated that sustainability is a collective responsibility extending beyond institutional boundaries and that responsible water management must become an integral part of how societies grow, innovate, and build resilience for the future. He added that through research, technology adoption, and responsible practices, the university aims to demonstrate how academic institutions can contribute meaningfully to global sustainability goals.
The Department of Planning and Development, along with faculty members and staff, actively advances the institution’s sustainability initiatives. KLEF has previously received accolades from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Water Digest, CII–SR, and AICTE. The university was recently recognized in the Water Stewardship category at the CII–SR Industrial Climate Action Competition, where it was evaluated alongside leading organizations.
