Mylapore School Pilot

Alternating droughts and destructive floods over recent years have made water security a hot issue in Chennai, the capital of India’s Tamil Nadu state, Rapid economic, demographic growth and lack of long-term urban planning have resulted in the overexploitation of water resources and made the city susceptible to floods and droughts, with climate change further exacerbating the city’s water crisis.

Unpredictability and extremes are the new normal in Chennai, and the city has to adapt accordingly.
The City of 1000 Tanks project, under the Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia Programme, has, therefore, been working with local and international stakeholders to offer a holistic solution to Chennai through blue-green strategies and build effective, efficient and inclusive co-operation in water management.

The project consists of three sub-projects: The first consists of the intervention on the school playground in which constructed wetlands treat wastewater generated by 1,200 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 project has the potential to be replicated in 415 schools in Chennai, and 1.5 million schools in India, while also contributing to the broader Mylapore Flagship project, which targets 61,000 beneficiaries.