CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has granted consent to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to establish climate-resilient sponge parks to mitigate floods and enhance the groundwater level.

The local body got consent from the council members about allowing the CMDA to establish two sponge parks on the lands under its maintenance. The parks will be established at Thoraipakkam and Padi at a cost of Rs 76.38 lakh to combat floods and recharge the groundwater level.

According to CMDA’s plan, the sponge park will be developed at Elango Nagar playground in Padi and at Corporation park, Thoraipakkam. In the Assembly, it was announced that 7 sponge parks will be established across the city at Rs 88 crore as the city has become highly prone to flooding, and also to maintain adequate level of groundwater to combat dry days.

Sponge parks are designed in a way to store excess rainwater and absorb it underground as a way to recharge the groundwater level. At the centre of the park, a pond-like structure will be created and excess rainwater is collected into the pond through inlet pipes across the park. Once the groundwater reaches saturation point, excess water will be released into the storm water drainage through the outlet.

The GCC also plans to establish sponge parks across the city with its own funding and also work on several such parks as an initial project.