Warangal to Build Sponge Parks for Flood Control and Groundwater Recharge
The Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) is planning to build sponge parks — green spaces designed to soak up rainwater like natural sponges. These parks will help prevent flooding in residential and commercial areas while also improving groundwater levels.
This plan comes after Cyclone Montha caused severe flooding in Warangal and Hanamkonda, affecting over 120 colonies. Inspired by Chennai’s successful model, where empty and low-lying lands were turned into rain-absorbing parks, Warangal hopes to tackle its annual flood problems in a similar way. The parks will also make the city greener and improve air quality.
To protect the city, the GWMC is taking several steps — widening canals, building retaining walls, and setting up sponge parks as part of a larger urban-resilience plan. Commissioner Chahat Bajpai said that engineering and horticulture teams are surveying 135 low-lying areas to find suitable spots. “We will begin with one or two pilot projects before expanding citywide,” she said.
Apart from flood control, sponge parks will also keep the surroundings green throughout the year by holding moisture. Drainage water will be redirected into ponds and percolation pits within the parks to store and recharge groundwater.
The concept was introduced in Warangal after former GWMC Commissioner Ashwini Tanaji Wakhade attended a training workshop in Chennai under the Sustainable Urban Development Smart City-2 project.
Chennai started sponge parks after the 2015 floods and built 57 of them at a cost of ₹7.67 crore. Each park includes rain-harvesting pits and sloping areas to collect and filter rainwater. Similar projects exist in cities like New York, Singapore, Shanghai, and London.
Encouraged by their success, Warangal now plans to adopt this nature-based solution to reduce flooding and create a more sustainable urban environment.
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