Giving a historic pond back to the town

In Kathua a historic pond had slowly been lost. Encroachment had narrowed its edges and its place in the life of the town had faded. Water bodies like this carry memory as well as water. They are where people once gathered, rested and came to cool themselves in the evening.

The revival was led as a CSR initiative with the support of the District Commissioner. That partnership mattered. Returning a public space to the public depends as much on goodwill and authority as it does on design. It allowed the work to begin from a shared purpose rather than a contest over ground.

Our task was to give the pond back its dignity and to make the land around it a place people would want to be. The park that grew from that work treats the water as its heart. Paths, planting and places to sit gather around it so that the pond is once again the reason to visit.

Water draws life to itself. The park has since become a biodiversity hub, a green refuge within the town. It shows what becomes possible when a community decides that a forgotten place is still worth caring for.