On 30th August 2023 the pilot was inaugurated by Thiru. K. N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, Government of Tamil Nadu along with Dr D Karthikeyan IAS , Principal Secretary to Government, MAWS in the presence of Henk Ovink, First Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ewout de Wit., Consul General, Kingdom of Netherlands, Michaela Küchler, Consul General, Germany
Thiru. K. N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, Government of Tamil Nadu along with Dr D Karthikeyan IAS , Principal Secretary to Government, MAWS during the inaugural tour hosted by City of 1000 Tanks. © 2023 Cynthia van Elk
The project is an initiative of Mr. Henk Ovink, the First Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and funded by the Government of the Netherlands in partnership with the city of Chennai, UN-Habitat and Resilience Cities Network, supported by the UN High-level Panel on water, among others.
Eva Pfannes, Team Lead City of 1000 Tanks, explains the project to Thiru. K. N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, Government of Tamil Nadu with Mr. Henk Ovink, the First Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. © 2023 Cynthia van Elk
“The Water Balance project shows what Water as Leverage is all about, a game-changer approach, people-centered and community-led solving the world’s most pressing water challenges. The pioneer project in Chennai proves the value of community-led, Nature Based Solutions' by design, that can lead the way ahead for upscaling and replicating: spreading from the city and the Ganga basin to the world. Putting the UN Water Action Agenda into practice. Yes, we can!”, said Henk.
Shilesh Hariharan explains the water chemistry samples and monitoring setup to Thiru. K. N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, Government of Tamil Nadu. © 2023 Cynthia van Elk
Sharing details about the project, Eva Pfannes, Director of Ooze Architects and Urbanists And Team Lead Of City Of 1000 Tanks, said, “The Water Balance Pilot is a first demonstration that will achieve its full potential when replicated in institutions across the city. In parallel, we plan to scale it up through a flagship project in Mylapore.”
She added, “The pilot is a vivid demonstration of the efficacy of scalable eco-system-based adaptation tools that can be deployed to address similar issues in the city. Infiltration gardens, when implemented city-wide will transform Chennai into a permeable and cool city. This increases the capacity to absorb and recharge water, thereby, reducing the impact of flooding.”
Speaking about the innovative project, Dr. Jayshree Vencatesan, Ecologist and Managing Trustee, of Care Earth Trust, said, “We are glad that the pilot project is being implemented at Little Flower Convent which is a pioneer institution of its kind in India. This 97-year-old institution imparts education for hearing-impaired and visually impaired children and adults and prepares them to integrate with normal society. The fruits of this project can be enjoyed by all at LFC as the sewage infrastructure has been unburdened, the impact of flooding has been reduced and the local water security on underground aquifers has been strengthened. This project is in line with sustainable development goal 13 which is to limit and adapt to climate change. Urban cooling and increased biodiversity are additional benefits.”