Chennai Corporation Floats Tenders to Restore Two Ponds in Vyasarpadi

The Greater Chennai Corporation has proposed eco-restoration and public realm development plans for two waterbodies in Vyasarpadi—the Old Goodshed Road Railway Pond and Kalyanapuram Pond. The projects will be executed under the central government’s Urban Challenge Fund to boost groundwater recharge, mitigate floods, and create public-use spaces.

The civic body has floated limited tenders to engage consultants to assess the physical and ecological conditions, land use, encroachments, drainage connections, and access patterns before preparing a detailed project report and concept master plan for the two sites.

The Old Goodshed Road Railway Pond, which had shrunk to around 2.28 acres due to encroachments, has been reclaimed and expanded to nearly 9.5 to 9.64 acres. Following the removal of invasive vegetation and debris left behind by earlier metro rail works, along with bund strengthening and the construction of an inlet culvert, the restored pond is projected to hold approximately 1.17 lakh cubic metres of water. The restoration is expected to reduce local inundation in nearby Nehru Nagar and MGR Nagar.

Under the proposed public realm development, the corporation plans to develop bund-top walking and cycling tracks, improved public access points, entry plazas, and viewing decks. The plans also include wetland-edge treatment, native and riparian plantations, bird-nesting zones, children's play areas, open-air gyms, seating areas, solar lighting, and boundary fencing with safety railings to prevent re-encroachment.

Civic officials noted that limited tenders were floated to meet tight timelines under the central scheme. Securing the proposal quickly will allow the civic body to submit the plans to the Union government and secure funding without procedural delays.

The civic body currently maintains 246 ponds across Chennai and undertakes the rejuvenation of 70 to 80 waterbodies annually. According to official data, restoration work on approximately 230 ponds has already been completed across the city.