Amid the countless wheels lining its roads, the premises of the Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) in Bengaluru’s Yelahanka is surprisingly verdant for a government foundry. A spider web-like system of interconnected stormwater drains and water points efficiently directs all water to the pump house or ponds, preventing any runoff. Their rooftop harvesting system allows immediate use of rainwater for production, ensuring zero wastage. Even during the peak of summer 2025, the two main wells, named Damodar and Kandaswamy—essential for production and fire emergencies—remain more than half-full, highlighting RWF’s water efficiency.

While Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) guidelines mandate rainwater harvesting in Bengaluru, many government organisations themselves have failed to implement it on their premises. But the RWF is setting an example for others to follow.

“Before 2019, we depended on the BWSSB for nearly 200 kilolitres of process water daily. Now, we are completely self-sufficient through rainwater harvesting (RWH) and an efficient water management system,” says G Venkatesh, Chief Public Relations Officer, Rail Wheel Factory. 

Since 2019, the Rail Wheel Factory has saved over ₹11 lakh annually by adopting a water-sufficient mechanism, reducing its reliance on BWSSB water.

Striving for sustainability at Rail Wheel Factory

Set up in 1984, RWF is a 191-acre Central government organisation under the Ministry of Railways. It is one of only two foundries in India that manufacture cast wheels, especially for goods trains. Foundries like RWF are usually heat and water-intensive and can contribute to air pollution. However, RWF has adopted several measures to be environmentally friendly and has achieved self-sufficiency in water usage.

”We manufacture railway cast wheels and forged axles. Annually, we melt around 1.1 lakh tonnes of steel scraps and manufacture around two lakh wheels,” adds Venkatesh. Sandesh Kini, Senior Section Engineer, Environment and Meera Madhusudan, Chief Publicity Inspector, RWF, provided a tour to Citizen Matters explaining the water management at RWF.  

“Our employees took time out of their daily schedule to contribute through tasks such as driving a tractor, using a crane, or digging to help set up this efficient water system. It has been a collective effort.”

Best utilisation of the rain 

At the foundry, water goes in a closed-loop circulation to cater to the cooling needs of the furnaces that manufacture wheels in the production house. RWF uses rainwater in two prominent ways: 

• Rooftop rainwater harvesting 
• Groundwater recharge in ponds and recharge wells

The wheel manufacturing process involves melting metal in furnaces and shaping it in moulds. To strengthen the product, it undergoes heat treatment, generating intense heat that could damage machinery if not removed. “Around 1,600 kilolitres of water circulate daily to cool the machines,” explains Venkatesh. During this process, 200 to 300 kilolitres evaporate due to high temperatures, requiring daily replenishment. This 10% water requirement was met using treated water from BWSSB.

Read more: Three diverse communities, one goal: Beating water scarcity in Bengaluru

During the monsoon, this 10% evaporated water is topped up using rooftop rainwater harvesting. Five tanks collect rainwater, which undergoes two filtration stages before being fed directly into the cooling network, without requiring pumping.

• Mesh filtering: Rainwater falls onto a mesh that traps heavy dust and leaves, allowing only clean water into the tank.
• Gravitational filtering: The water settles, with silt and mud accumulating at the bottom, while the clear water on top flows into the cooling system.

“Additionally, we have a secondary fume extraction system to reduce air pollution from our manufacturing units, which produce a lot of particulate matter. This system channels air through large pipes, absorbs fine dust, and releases only clean air into the environment,” he adds.

After cooling, heated water flows to one of three cooling towers. The pump house circulates cooled water to manufacturing units and receives heated water for cooling. Three tanks facilitate this process:

• Hot water tank: Receives heated water before it reaches the pump house.
• Raw water tank: Supplies daily top-up water.
• Cool water tank: Collects cooled water from the cooling tower.

In the rainy season, check dams on the stormwater drains (SWDs) on campus allow silt and mud to settle and only clear water to flow into a separate tank. Here, it further goes through a four-stage filtering process — sand bed, coarse gravel, slightly finer gravel and minute fine gravel. After filtering, the water directly flows to the raw water tank for top-up. 

Ponds and wells recharge groundwater at Rail Wheel Factory

Meanwhile, during non-monsoon seasons, RWF relies on wells and pond water for production purposes. Over three acres of small ponds are created in low-lying catchment areas to collect runoff water from stormwater drains (SWDs).

The stormwater drains (SWDs) direct excess water to the ponds in the catchment area, where six wells store it and help recharge groundwater. The two main wells, Damodar and Kandaswamy, supply water for production during non-monsoon seasons. “These wells were once abandoned and filled with debris, but were revived in 2018–19. SWDs feed the ponds, and the ponds, in turn, replenish the wells,” says Venkatesh. Two feeder wells near the main wells help refill them, reducing the need for direct pumping to production units and saving energy. Additionally, two smaller wells serve other purposes, such as fire safety.

“Every two days, Damodar and Kandaswamy fill up, which we use alternatively for the cooling water top-up during non-rainy seasons.”

RWF has now grown tall grasses like reeds and cattails to reduce water evaporation during summers and encourage more water conservation and groundwater recharge. 

The way forward

“We have to adopt sustainable measures today. Be it any industry or residential settings, civic responsibility to preserve nature is of utmost importance,” notes Venkatesh.  

“As a central government department, we do not have Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding for this purpose. We are self-funded for all water management purposes and are now planning to collaborate with NGOs for the same,” says Venkatesh. 

Currently, RWF uses Cauvery water only for drinking water purposes. The factory is not dependent on borewells for the its production process either. 

RWF is currently trying to rejuvenate an additional well, desilt pond beds and trim the tall grasses to interconnect all ponds. “We are also planning to get a contract to deepen the ponds to increase holding capacity and recharge rate,” he adds.

Learnings from RWF’s experience

• Despite high water demand, it’s possible to minimise dependence on external sources through innovative rainwater harvesting and recycling.
• Collecting and filtering rainwater directly from rooftops can be effective in supplying water for industrial or household needs.
• Instead of letting water go to waste, creating a closed-loop circulation system where it is continuously reused ensures optimum use.
• Reviving abandoned wells and ponds can ensure sustainable water sources even in peak summer.
• Taking initiative and a commitment to change can help adopt eco-friendly measures.     

Also read:

• From waste to water: Mumbai housing society leads the way in sustainable sewage treatment
• 1.94 crore litres of water saved: How one Chennai apartment mastered sewage treatment
• Promise of Cauvery Stage V: Will Bengaluru’s lifeline overcome hurdles to quench city’s thirst?