State Examines ₹876-Crore Plan to Restore Buckingham Canal

The State government is examining an ₹876.35-crore plan to make a 7.2-km stretch of the central portion of the Buckingham Canal navigable again, running from Napier Bridge over the beach road to the Adyar river over Greenways Road in R.A. Puram.

The proposed revival project aims to introduce passenger boats, floating restaurants, and cargo movement along the waterway. The restoration of the canal and other Chennai watercourses has returned to the agenda following the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government taking office nearly three and a half months ago.

The waterway has a long history in the city. It was originally constructed in 1806 by Basil Cochrane as a privately operated channel called the Cochrane Canal. Initially measuring under 18 km from Chennai to the Ennore estuary, it was later extended to Pulicat Lake. The government took control of the canal in 1837, renaming it the East Coast Canal, and extended it to Dugarajapatnam in 1857. In 1878, it received its current name after the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, the then Governor of Madras.

At its peak, the Buckingham Canal spanned about 450 km along the coast, with 200 km in Tamil Nadu and 250 km in Andhra Pradesh. Linked with the Krishna and Godavari canal systems, it formed a continuous 650-km navigable network that connected Chennai with northern trade centres such as Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, and Kakinada. The canal once operated 28 locks to regulate water levels.

During the 1952-53 period under the Madras Presidency, approximately 2.11 lakh tonnes of goods worth ₹3.75 crore were transported along the canal. Traffic gradually declined as alternative road and rail options expanded.

Over the decades, the canal suffered from persistent sewage disposal, odour issues, and urban encroachment. Although various government studies and deepening plans were mooted between the 1950s and 1980s, the corridor fell into disuse. Elevated structures for the Mass Rapid Transit System were later built along the canal's alignment in central Chennai.