Raipur: Two students from a government school in Raipur have put Chhattisgarh on the map with an innovative project that combines rainwater harvesting with geospatial technology. Their work earned appreciation from international judges at a competition held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Tirupati.
Class 8 student Vartika Patil and Class 7 student Umeshwari Sahu of PG Umathe Excellent Government School were the only students selected from Chhattisgarh for the competition, which was held on July 22 and brought together participants from six states.
Their project, "Building Sponge City Together", focused on the importance of conserving rainwater and exploring ways to address water scarcity. As part of the project, the students surveyed 400 households and used tools such as Google Earth and other geospatial applications to collect and present information.
The project also gave the students hands-on exposure to geospatial technology. Vartika said the international judges appreciated their work and encouraged them to develop it further, highlighting its potential to contribute to efforts to tackle water scarcity.
For Vartika, the achievement is particularly meaningful given the circumstances in which she has pursued her education. Her mother, Jyoti Patil, began driving an auto-rickshaw after her husband's death two years ago to support Vartika and her two other children.
"I am extremely proud of my daughter. I want her to progress and achieve whatever she aspires to," Jyoti said, adding that Vartika hopes to either become an IAS officer or a scientist.
Despite the challenges of raising three children while earning a livelihood as an auto-rickshaw driver, Jyoti said she remains committed to ensuring that all her children receive a good education and move forward in life.
Umeshwari said the project helped the students learn about new technologies and understand the importance of water conservation. The duo now plans to build on their experience and work on similar initiatives in the future.
Their teacher, Mita Shukla, said the school was proud that the two students were selected from the entire state for the BRICS 2026 competition. She added that the rainwater harvesting project was developed with the guidance of their teachers, keeping in mind the growing need for water conservation.