Debris Chokes Buckingham Canal near Vyasarpadi Raising Flooding Fears

A stretch of the Buckingham Canal near the Kodungaiyur landfill in Vyasarpadi, North Chennai, has been choked by dumped sand, construction debris, and water hyacinth, reducing its effective width by nearly three-fourths. Months before the arrival of the northeast monsoon, the blockage has revived severe flooding fears among local residents who experienced devastating inundation during Cyclone Michaung in December 2023.

The Buckingham Canal serves as a critical drainage channel for north Chennai. It carries excess rainwater from the Captain Cotton Canal, Kodungaiyur Canal, and other feeder drains before emptying into the Kosasthalaiyar River and eventually the Bay of Bengal.

J Prashanth and Vishvaja Sambath of the Chennai Climate Action Group stated that the dumped material could significantly reduce the canal's overall carrying capacity.

Vyasarpadi residents expressed concerns that any obstruction in the canal’s flow would lead to severe waterlogging and prolonged inundation during heavy rains. They recalled that restricted flow in the Buckingham Canal during Cyclone Michaung prevented feeder canals from draining, resulting in flooded neighbourhoods.

This is not the first instance of blockage at this location. Google Earth images showed the canal obstructed on both banks just a few metres from the current dumping site as recently as June 2025.

Dinesh V, a 17-year-old resident of JJR Nagar in Vyasarpadi, recalled a previous episode where officials had planned to build a bridge to create a pathway for dumping waste. The debris was eventually removed following local objections. He warned that if the fresh debris is not cleared before the monsoon, the Captain Cotton Canal, which has only hip-high retaining walls, could overflow into the streets of Mullai Nagar, Sathya Moorthy Nagar, Udhaya Suriyan Nagar, Ezhil Nagar, and JJR Nagar.

According to a civic official, the original plan to build a burial ground and an approach bridge across the canal was dropped after the land was reassigned for fresh waste dumping amid ongoing biomining operations at the landfill. The official stated that the contractor has been directed to remove the soil and debris within three days, failing which the Greater Chennai Corporation will undertake the work. The removal of water hyacinth has already begun.