Buckingham Canal Revival Plan: Boats, Floating Restaurants Proposed for Chennai

The Tamil Nadu government is considering a ₹876.35-crore plan to revive navigation along a 7.2-km stretch of the Buckingham Canal, from Napier Bridge to the Adyar River. The proposal includes passenger boat services, floating restaurants, cargo movement, walkways and commercial spaces.

The project aims to combine water transport, flood mitigation, sewage treatment and canal restoration. However, several challenges must be addressed before boats can operate on the 224-year-old canal.

Electric Boats and Floating Restaurants Proposed

The pilot project proposes eight electric boats, each capable of carrying 20 passengers, with a tentative fare of ₹50.

Two floating restaurants are also proposed along the canal. Together with the boat service, they are estimated to generate around ₹2.36 crore in annual revenue.

The plan also includes continuous walkways, mangrove restoration, parking facilities, retail spaces and cage fisheries.

The pilot could eventually become part of a proposed 55-km inland waterway connecting Chennai Central with Kovalam and Mahabalipuram, identified under the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority`s (CUMTA) Comprehensive Mobility Plan.

Sewage Pollution Major Challenge

One of the biggest challenges is the large volume of sewage entering the canal.

A joint survey conducted in September 2023 identified 19 sewage outfalls, discharging an estimated 48.17 million litres of sewage per day into the central stretch. This was higher than the 36 million litres per day recorded from 11 outfalls in April 2022.

The DPR proposes diverting sewage from 17 outfalls to two new treatment plants:

- 43 MLD treatment plant: Swami Sivananda Salai
- 8 MLD treatment plant: Greenways Road

Aeration systems and floating wetlands have also been proposed to prevent treated water from stagnating.

Dredging and Flood Management

Around 2.05 lakh cubic metres of silt would need to be removed from the canal. The project also proposes rebuilding approximately 11.6 km of flood walls.

Lock gates at the canal`s junctions with the Cooum and Adyar rivers are proposed to prevent polluted river water from entering the canal during floods.

The DPR has identified 23 bridges as hydraulic bottlenecks, with clearances dropping to around three metres at some locations.

MRTS Pillars Pose Navigation Challenge

Conventional widening of the canal could be difficult at locations such as Mandaiveli and Greenways Road, where MRTS pillars restrict available space.

As an alternative flood-management measure, the project proposes underground cut-and-cover drains. Two straight-cut channels, estimated to cost ₹295.58 crore, are also planned.

According to the DPR, the proposed flood-management works could reduce the flood-affected area by around 45%.

Rehabilitation of Nearly 5,000 Families

The project will also require the rehabilitation of 4,924 families occupying around 11.4 acres within the canal`s right of way.

The indicative rehabilitation cost is estimated at ₹107 crore, although biometric verification of affected families is yet to be completed.

Revenue Model Depends on Treated Wastewater

The project is expected to generate around ₹77.14 crore in annual revenue, against estimated operating expenses of ₹30.44 crore.

A significant portion of the projected revenue is expected from the sale of 34 MLD of treated wastewater to industrial and commercial users, estimated to generate ₹49.64 crore annually.

Additional revenue could come from:

- Passenger boat services
- Floating restaurants
- Parking
- Retail leases
- Fisheries
- Solid-waste processing
- Water credits

Buckingham Canal Revival Under National Waterway 4

The proposal forms part of efforts to restore navigation along the Buckingham Canal, which comes under National Waterway 4, connecting Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh with Puducherry.

The long-term vision is to develop the canal as both a transport corridor and flood-management infrastructure, while improving its environmental condition.

The restoration plan is also linked to a Madras High Court order directing the state to demarcate the canal`s original boundaries, remove encroachments and prevent sewage discharge.

Chennai Buckingham Canal Revival: A Major Urban Transformation

If implemented, the ₹876.35-crore project could significantly change the way the Buckingham Canal is used in Chennai. Passenger boats, floating restaurants and public walkways could create a new urban waterfront, while sewage treatment, dredging and flood-management works could improve the canal`s environmental and hydraulic condition.

However, sewage interception, rehabilitation, bridge bottlenecks, MRTS infrastructure and funding remain critical issues that will need to be addressed before regular navigation can become a reality.