In a bid to enhance water storage and mitigate flooding, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced plans to establish sponge parks in North Chennai. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹88 crore for this initiative in its recent budget, with the first phase involving the creation of 50 sponge parks across various locations.
GCC has identified multiple sites in Manali, Thiruvottiyur, and Madhavaram, where existing water bodies will be restored and new ones created to drain into the Kosasthalaiyar Basin. The first phase of the project, worth ₹8 crore, has already been tendered, with sponge parks planned in Sadayankuppam, Kargil Nagar, Vadaperumbakkam, MMDA Colony, and Mathur. This initiative is expected to be funded under the ₹3,000 crore Kosasthalaiyar stormwater drain project supported by KfW.
Several ponds, including Thamarai Kulam in Ennore, Vannar Kulam in Tondiarpet, and Padavettamman Kovil Pond in Madhavaram, have been identified for restoration. GCC officials have also earmarked open space reservation (OSR) lands and other unutilized plots for excavation, creating five-feet-deep ponds to serve as water catchment areas. “Sewage connections in adjoining streets will be diverted, and the drains will be linked to these ponds,” said a Manali zone official.
Once completed, the 50 sponge parks are expected to store at least 75 million litres of water. Currently, water from Thiruvottiyur, Manali, and Madhavaram drains into the Kosasthalaiyar River at a rate of 30,000 cusecs via the river and the Red Hills surplus channel. However, encroachments and lack of maintenance have reduced the storage capacity of major water bodies like the 150-acre Madhavaram Lake.
Civic activists have welcomed the initiative but stressed the need for sustained efforts to remove encroachments and regularly desilt water bodies to maximize storage capacity.