The eco park in Porur is said to be India’s first sponge park
This transformation was discussed at a session organised by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) on Thursday as part of World Water Week 2026. The 16-acre park, said to be India’s first sponge park, was developed to show how urban open spaces can be transformed into nature-based infrastructure that absorbs, stores, and recharges rainwater while supporting biodiversity. The team retained 100 mature trees on the site and introduced more than 15 native wetland species. The park collects runoff from a 150-acre catchment comprising residential neighbourhoods and a university campus. It can hold 30,000 cubic metres of water at any given time, allowing water to be slowed, treated, stored and gradually released into the drainage system after storm events.
We wanted to remain true to the site’s topography and geology while also educating people about why wetlands are critical infrastructure,” she says. The park also doubles as a public space, with play areas, an open gym, seating and shaded areas,” says Praveen. The project was conceptualised and designed by Sponge Collaborative for Chennai metropolitan development authority (CMDA), which sees such landscapes as an alternative to cities relying solely on concrete stormwater infrastructure. “We reimagined the space that could be given back to the community. “During intense rainfall, parts of the landscape are designed to temporarily flood while critical infrastructure remains protected.