In Nageswara Rao Park, water percolation taking time. This water harvesting zone has its place.

If you are a regular at Nageswara Rao Park in Luz and may wonder why the rainwater is still seen stagnating in spots all around here, you may be ignorant of the history of this land zone.

Though the monsoon came down hard and then there was a day’s record rain last week, there are still patches holding the water.

And now, the open air gym remains locked because water is still oozing up on the paved floor here. Walk pathways seem dry and are being pounded on every day by regular walkers here.

The park was created out of a kuttai ( pond) which was a receptacle for flood waters flowing east from the Anna Salai side. In time, it turned into a dump before it was acquired by the city’s civic body, some more land added to this acquisition and a park created, given the name to honour the land’s biggest donor.

To this day, this zone continues to be that receptacle of floodwater. And hence, a simple storehouse of harvested water.

Reason why after long spells of rain water stands for a long time in many patches in this verdant campus. Also, through the past 12 months ground water levels have risen appreciably due to the consistent rain f.all and percolation has been slow in recent times