The large rainwater lake at Lapkaman Oxygen Park, with a central island and native trees

Anandam Lapkaman Oxygen Park

The largest of the Anandam oxygen parks — 20 hectares of restored landscape and water.

Developing one of the region’s largest integrated ecological restoration landscapes — with a large project footprint, integrated stormwater management, and diverse soil conditions — making it the anchor site of Anandam’s green infrastructure.

A project by Anandam Parivar

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200,000 m² Total project area — the largest Anandam oxygen park

160,000 Native trees and shrubs in the plantation target

130M Litres Rainwater storage capacity in the planned lake

Mega Plantation Rainwater Lake Groundwater Recharge Integrated Stormwater Microclimate Cooling

12 July 2026

Drive Green Gandhinagar

The flagship site, dedicated on 12 July 2026.

Lapkaman is the largest of three sites — alongside Jaspur and Dantali — dedicated together under the Drive Green Gandhinagar initiative, in collaboration with the District Administration and the Government of Gujarat. The public dedication will be joined by village residents, students, and esteemed government dignitaries, opening the next phase of community plantation.

See Jaspur Park

The Drive Green Gandhinagar dedication board at the Lapkaman site, announcing the 12 July 2026 event

Project Overview

A landscape-scale project where water management leads the design.

Scale

At 200,000 m², Lapkaman accounts for roughly 84% of the land area across the three Anandam oxygen parks, and contributes 130 of their 146 million litres of combined rainwater storage.

Water First

A 40,000 m² lake at an average depth of 3.25 m sits at the centre of the site, capturing runoff and feeding it slowly into the ground rather than letting it drain away.

Layered Soils

Three distinct soil layers — red, black, and sandy — each play a role in establishing trees, retaining moisture, and recharging the aquifer beneath.

Scale At A Glance

Landscape-scale ecological work in simple numbers.

200,000 m² Total project area (20 hectares)

160,000 Native trees and shrubs in the plantation target

40,000 m² Lake area, at an average depth of 3.25 m

130M Litres Estimated rainwater storage capacity

32–45M Litres Estimated annual groundwater recharge

≈160M Litres Rainfall landing directly on the site each year

Water, Storage & Recharge

130 million litres of storage, engineered to reach the aquifer.

40,000 m² Lake area at an average depth of 3.25 m

130M Litres Rainwater storage capacity (130,000 m³)

32–45M Litres Estimated annual groundwater recharge (25–35% of stored water)

≈160M Litres Rainfall landing directly on the site each year

Water at Lapkaman takes a longer journey than at the other sites. It percolates through the red upper soil, is temporarily held in the black clay layer beneath, and eventually infiltrates the sandy layer below, where it recharges the groundwater table.

That middle clay layer slows infiltration compared with Jaspur’s more freely draining profile — which is why the recharge estimate here is a more conservative 25–35% of stored water. What the clay costs in speed, it repays in moisture retention for the plantation above.

Why The Depth Matters

Storage capacity follows directly from lake geometry. At 40,000 m² and an average depth of 3.25 m, the lake holds 130,000 m³ — 130 million litres — when full. Depth also means less surface area per litre exposed to evaporation, and a longer window for water to soak downward.

Soil Profile

Three layers, three jobs — establish, retain, recharge.

Upper Layer · Red Soil

Supports early establishment and root anchorage for young trees and shrubs.

Middle Layer · Black Soil

High moisture retention. Temporarily holds percolating water, sustaining plants between rains.

Lower Layer · Sandy Soil

Enhances drainage and recharge, carrying surplus water into the groundwater table.

Integrated Stormwater Management

Not just a plantation — a system that captures, slows, stores, and reuses water.

Unlike a conventional plantation, Lapkaman actively manages the water that falls on it. Lake excavation, gravity-assisted drainage, contour grading, and irrigation trenches work together so rainfall is captured and held on site instead of running off.

Because irrigation water travels through graded trenches rather than being carried or sprayed plant by plant, the system is markedly more efficient to operate. The figures below are expected operational benefits of the design, not measured results.

01 Lake excavation and contour grading capture runoff

02 Gravity-assisted drainage moves water without pumping

03 Irrigation trenches distribute water to planting rows

04 Natural infiltration recharges the aquifer below

30–40% Expected reduction in irrigation water losses

20–35% Expected reduction in pumping energy

40–60% Expected reduction in manual watering effort

≈160M Litres Annual rainfall the site captures and slows on-site

The Master Plan

More than a forest — a multifunctional ecological destination.

Lapkaman’s scale allows it to be planned as a public green destination, weaving native forest together with spaces for rest, learning, and community. The features below are part of the master plan, to be developed in phases.

Oxygen Grove

Educational Botanical Areas

Pollinator Gardens

Forest Trails

Meditation Zones

Forest Labyrinth

Rock Garden

Community Gathering Spaces

Boundary & Visitor Infrastructure

Different edges for different needs — protection where it matters, character where it’s seen.

Lapkaman fronts more than one road, so the boundary is treated differently along each. An RCC Patia wall runs along the GIDC road for durability and security, while a decorative channelling fence lines the main public road to give the park an attractive frontage.

Along the fence line, a hydrological solution captures stormwater from adjoining roads and directs it into the lake. Future phases add a landmark entrance gate, an underground water storage tank, an integrated irrigation network, and natural-material walkways through the landscape.

RCC Patia wall along the GIDC road
Decorative channelling fence along the main road
Stormwater capture along the boundary feeding the lake
Planned: landmark gate, underground tank, natural walkways

The RCC boundary wall running behind the excavated lake at Lapkaman

Microclimate Improvement

A contiguous green mass large enough to cool the air around it.

Lapkaman’s scale is what makes its cooling effect meaningful. A large, unbroken canopy does not just shade the ground beneath it — it moderates air temperature, lifts local humidity, and improves thermal comfort across the site and its surroundings.

The ranges below are drawn from established urban forestry research and describe the expected condition of the mature landscape.

Expected At Maturity

1–3°C reduction in daytime air temperature in and around the site
10–20°C reduction in ground surface temperature under shaded canopy
Improved local thermal comfort and humidity
Dust suppression and reduced heat stress for nearby communities

Site Photo Documentation

On-ground progress, published as the project advances.

On-ground progress at Lapkaman — grading and site preparation, native saplings going into the ground, and the first signs of returning wildlife across the 20-hectare landscape.

A tractor levelling and grading the prepared ground at Lapkaman

A mature native tree preserved on a raised earth mound at Lapkaman

Native saplings arriving by tractor for planting at Lapkaman

Young native saplings establishing across the graded Lapkaman land

Cattle egrets foraging on the freshly worked soil at Lapkaman, an early sign of returning biodiversity

Earthwork and clearing across the Lapkaman site under the tree line

Challenges & Solutions

A landscape-scale problem, met with landscape-scale engineering.

Challenges

Very large footprint requiring phased implementation
Stormwater runoff escaping the site
Multiple road frontages with different boundary needs
Large-scale irrigation planning across 20 hectares
Integrating ecological and visitor infrastructure

Solutions

Scientific site grading and phased development
Hydrological channels intercepting road stormwater into the lake
A large 40,000 m² rainwater-harvesting lake
RCC wall along GIDC road; decorative frontage on the main road
Underground irrigation and natural-material pathways planned

Key Successes

One of the largest integrated ecological restoration projects under Drive Green Gandhinagar
Designed as a multifunctional landscape uniting ecology, water, and community
Stormwater capture built into the site to support long-term water resilience
A phased master plan that can grow with the community for decades

Environmental Infrastructure

More than trees — an investment in natural infrastructure.

The indicators below are the combined totals across all three Anandam oxygen parks — Jaspur, Dantali, and Lapkaman. Together they function less like a plantation and more like a piece of public infrastructure: land restored, water banked, air cooled.

Lapkaman’s share

200,000 m² of the restored landscape

160,000 of the trees & shrubs

130M litres of the rainwater storage

Land & Plantation

239,000 m² Green landscape restored

215,000 Native trees & shrubs

Water

146M litres Rainwater storage capacity

38–50M litres Potential annual groundwater recharge

≈191M litres Annual rainfall managed across sites

Climate & Air

≈2,700 t/yr Potential CO₂ sequestration (at 70% survival)

≈15,000 t/yr Potential oxygen generation (at 70% survival)

1–3°C Estimated local air temperature reduction

10–20°C Peak surface temperature reduction under canopy

Operational Efficiency

30–40% Irrigation water saving

40–60% Manual irrigation effort reduction

Survival Scenarios

Carbon and oxygen, modelled three ways.

Rather than assume a single outcome, the projections are modelled at three long-term plantation survival rates across all 215,000 trees. We publish 70% as our baseline.

60%Survival

Mature trees: 129,000
CO₂ / year: ≈2,300 t
Oxygen / year: ≈12,900 t

Baseline

70%Survival

Mature trees: 150,500
CO₂ / year: ≈2,700 t
Oxygen / year: ≈15,050 t

80%Survival

Mature trees: 172,000
CO₂ / year: ≈3,100 t
Oxygen / year: ≈17,200 t

A note on methodology

The environmental impact figures presented are engineering estimates based on project dimensions, lake geometry, Gandhinagar’s average annual rainfall, regional soil characteristics, published urban forestry and hydrological research, and projected long-term plantation survival. Actual outcomes will depend on rainfall variability, species survival, maintenance practices, and natural site conditions.

Growing A Greener Tomorrow

The anchor site of Anandam’s green infrastructure.

At 20 hectares, Lapkaman is designed to demonstrate what landscape-scale ecological restoration can achieve: a rainwater lake holding 130 million litres, 160,000 native trees and shrubs, and a soil profile engineered to return water to the aquifer year after year.

Site photography and detailed plantation documentation for Lapkaman will be published here as the project progresses.

Be Part Of The Green Movement

Want to support, visit, or collaborate on Anandam’s oxygen parks? We would love to connect and share the road ahead for Lapkaman and our other green projects.

Discuss The Project