CHETPET – ECOLOGICAL PARK
Proposal for Park layout, interpretation center and multilevel car park
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
With a view of converting an existing area into a viable and sustainable green space for the city, this proposal was done for the Department of Fisheries under whose purview the land is. The proposed park covers an area of 16 acres and is set around an existing rainwater fed lake. Although not used for drinking purposes, the lake was a source of groundwater recharge for the surrounding areas and as the water quality is not saline, the lake had a few varieties of fish such as Rohu, Catla and Mrigal. In recent years, the lake had been heavily encroached upon as a result of which the water had become highly contaminated and parts of the land area used as by people for waste dumping.
The proposal consisted of creating or reinstating natural, semi-natural & planted areas that would allow for the creation of a natural habitat in and around the water edges. As per the proposed plan the area has 2 water bodies surrounded by low impact, supportive developments and plantations. The park would consist of walkways weaving along the waters edges, have interesting landscape elements set within nooks and offer rejuvenating contact with nature, offer spaces for social interaction and use interesting landscape elements and sculptures to spread awareness about parks, ponds, lakes & their importance within the city. A free fly butterfly garden is part of the proposal as is a children’s interactive play space area. All hard scapes within the landscape would be built with ecologically sensitive materials.
We worked with Pitchandikulam Forest consultants for the landscaping and plant species specific to the various zones from aquatic to peripheral have been selected to fit aesthetic as well as functional requirements in the park. 96 % of the species selected are native and encourage bird and insect life. A large number of the species selected are drought resistant. Ground covers and grasses selected will serve the purpose of soil stabilization & filtering of runoffs.