India, May 21 -- Long before glass towers and sprawling tech parks transformed its skyline, Bengaluru had a drainage system designed in harmony with its natural terrain. Experts point to this older, more sustainable approach-developed during the Wodeyar Maharajas' reign and refined under British administration-as a model worth revisiting.

"The drainage system during the Maharaja's time worked with nature, not against it," said Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor of the Coalition for Water Security. "The lake systems were interconnected, allowing excess water to flow smoothly from one to another, following the land's natural topography."

This heritage network consisted of cascading tanks connected by open channels known as rajakaluves. These sto...