The field trial at the PS Higher Secondary School playground and the adjacent HR&CE Temple grounds demonstrates the use of Nature Based Solutions in public spaces through new retention tanks that collect rainwater run-off and treated wastewater, recharging both to the aquifer to increase groundwater levels plus an educational and community program for awareness and capacity building. It consists of three sub-projects: The first consists of the intervention on the school playground in which constructed wetlands treat wastewater generated by 1200 students and multiple bioswales that direct this treated water as well as rainwater into designated detention and recharge zones. The second consists of an eco-literacy centre which integrated learning by doing and interactive demonstrations of the NBS on the school playground. The third is the intervention on the adjacent temple grounds which is redesigned as a retention park with model Erys and a flower garden sustained through recharge efforts. The entire project is accompanied by dedicated engagement programme involving public water festivals, cultural events, training programmes for technocrats as well as citizens, information sessions for the vulnerable and at risk, eco-literacy/ water education programme and social media campaign. The pilot builds capacity on the local level empowering citizens with the knowledge to adapt and adopt NBS on a city level.
The PS Higher Secondary School is located in the neighbourhood of Mylapore in the Greater Chennai Corporation. The main access to the playground and school is through the RK Mutt Road, an important arterial road connecting it to the Kapaleeshwarar Tank. The school currently has a capacity of 1200 students. It also consists of a basketball court, football field, 2 badminton fields, one volleyball field and cricket practice nets. Adjacent to this school is the PS Senior Secondary school which is managed by the same administrative board. The school also has a kitchen located on the edge of the playground. This kitchen prepares meals for 200 students as per the Mid day meal scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Location
Chennai
Year
2020-Present
Team
Eva Pfannes, Sylvain Hartenberg, Nilofer Tajuddin, Hsoc Mathai George, Jesse Honsa
Event
Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia - Call for Action June 2018
Commissioner
Netherlands Enterprise agency (RVO.nl) on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs
Support
100 Resilient Cities, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation, UN/World Bank High Level Panel on Water
Collaborators
Madras Terrace (Shilesh Hariharan, Archana Y, Sudheendra K), Goethe Institute Chennai (Helmut Schippert), Ramakrishnan Venkatesh, Dr. Vanessa Peter, Rain Center (Dr. Sekhar Raghavan), Paperman (Mathew Jose), Care Earth Trust (Dr. Jayshree Vencatesan), Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants (Joss Brooks), IIT Madras (Dr. Balaji Narasimhan, Prof. Swaminathan, Dr. Indumathi Nambi)
Status
Ongoing