{
  "id": 3509843,
  "title": "Buckingham Canal back in the limelight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/buckingham-canal-back-in-the-limelight",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T12:48:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/buckingham-canal-back-in-the-limelight/article71387307.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Buckingham Canal, once a vital waterway in Chennai, has regained attention after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government assumed power in Tamil Nadu about three and a half months ago. Authorities are considering a ₹876.35-crore plan to restore a 7.2-km-long stretch of the central portion of the canal, between Napier Bridge over the beach road and the Adyar River over Greenways Road in R.A. Puram. This stretch would make the canal navigable for passenger boats, floating restaurants, and cargo movement again. Originally constructed in 1806 by Basil Cochrane, the canal was known as the Cochrane Canal and extended up to the Ennore estuary, later reaching Pulicat Lake. The government took over the canal in 1837 and extended it to Dugarajapatnam in 1857. The canal, which ran along the coast for about 450 km, was once a continuous navigable stretch of 650 km, connecting Chennai with numerous cities including Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Ongole, and Nellore. The canal had 28 locks, with a draught of one meter available in the northern section and less in the southern section. Despite its historical significance, the canal's revenue from traffic never matched the expenditure required to keep it navigable. Passenger traffic declined over time as other transportation modes gained popularity. In the 1950s, The Hindu editorialized that the canal could be significantly improved to carry larger cargoes, including grains, salt, fish, firewood, and charcoal, with its \"smell\" disappearing. Over the years, several studies have been conducted to address pollution and improve the canal's navigability. The Chennai Municipal Corporation, responsible for sewage collection and disposal, was held accountable for the canal's pollution, while slum settlements grew along its banks during the 1950s and 1960s. A feasibility study on interlinking canals for navigation between Chennai and Kakinada was proposed in 1981 with German assistance, but the Buckingham Canal fell into disuse in the 1970s and '80s. The State and Central governments then developed a plan to implement the Mass Rapid Transit System using the canal's alignment in central Chennai.",
  "summary": "Running along the east coast of India for about 450 km (250 km in Andhra Pradesh and 200 km in Tamil Nadu), the Buckingham Canal, taken together with the Krishna and Godavari irrigation canal systems, was once a continuous, navigable stretch of about 650 km",
  "key_points": [
    "Buckingham Canal to be restored at ₹876.35 crore",
    "7.2 km stretch between Napier Bridge and Adyar River",
    "Canal once 650 km navigable link between 8 cities"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}