The project will include a football pitch, a kabaddi court, tiered-grass seating above rainwater-harvesting detention tanks, a rain garden with a pervious green surface, and a jogging track.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has begun the construction of a sponge park with recreational facilities at Mathur MMDA Colony in Manali zone.
The work, estimated to cost ₹8.06 crore, is scheduled for completion in April 2026, a zonal official said.
It is funded under the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Project and the National Disaster Management Fund, according to the GCC.
The sponge park, covering 7,652 sq.m., will have a recharge capacity of 1,200 cubic metres. It will be linked to the Kosasthalaiyar Basin via a storm-water drain, the GCC said.
Rainwater-harvesting detention tanks with a capacity of 900 cubic metres, and a rainwater-harvesting tunnel using German technology, which has a capacity of 300 cubic metres, will be installed for the retention of rainwater and groundwater recharge.
The project will also include a football pitch measuring 73.1 m x 45.7 m, a kabaddi court, a tiered-grass seating above the detention tanks, a 1.5-m-deep rain garden with a pervious green surface, a 2.5-m-wide synthetic rubber jogging track, and green buffers along the compound wall.
“This project combines recreation and water management by creating dual-use spaces — recreational arenas built above rainwater-harvesting structures. By converting impervious surfaces into permeable ones, the park will help reduce urban flooding and retain rainwater,” the official said.
The work will be executed in three phases: installation of rainwater-harvesting structures, civil and construction works, and landscaping, gardening, electrical and plumbing works, the official added.
Published – September 05, 2025 11:58 pm IST
