Chennai
Constructed during the British rule, the 426 km long salt water navigation canal was an important waterway during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It runs parallel to the Coromandel coast from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.
Out of the 170 km stretch in Tamil Nadu, approximately 31 km runs within Chennai city. In fact, the portion North of the Cooum is known as North Buckingham Canal while the portion South, running a distance of 105 km between Kotturpuram and Marakkanam, is known as the South Buckingham Canal.
Illegal dumping
Today, both the North and South Buckingham Canal stretches have turned into garbage carriers. Nothing remains to show this channel could carry up to 5,600 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water or that it was an inland waterway on which goods were transported and commerce flourished. A few years ago, the 13-km long stretch of the South Buckingham canal between Thoraipakkam and Muttu kadu was widened to 100 metres under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM). But with no sustainable checking mechanism in place, garbage continues to be dumped and sewage let into it.
Cleansing factors:
As of now, the National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone, has been rallying to restore the ecosystem of the Buckingham Canal. The key challenges are getting the government to stop all illegal sewer discharge into the channel at various points through storm water drains, illegal sewer connections and sewer tankers beyond Sholinganallur. The tribunal has also been taking up aspects pertaining to dumping of construction waste. It has also raised the question of how a five-star hotel near Taramani was allowed to come up a mere 100 metres from the canal wall.
Health matters
Jawaharlal Shanmugam, who had moved the National Green Tribunal over pollution in the Buckingham Canal, says “Unless the process becomes a public movement there is little chance that the canal would regain its last glory. The only solace as of now is the green tribunal, which constantly keeps a tab on the action taken by officials. In fact, in the last hearing, the tribunal has asked the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board to file a status report on the action taken against offenders letting effluents into the Buckingham Canal.”
Acting on wilful digressions:
The tribunal also took up the cause of removing a 30 feet road that had come up inside the canal. It was contended that realtors engaged in developing a large scale project near Buckingham Canal had caused the obstruction of free flow of water. It was argued that the authorities had not conducted proper inspection before granting permission.
The plea had sought the authorities to revoke and cancel all the clearances issued, including the planning approval granted by the authorities. The tribunal in its order on expressing concern about the dumping of construction materials, said “The fact remains that the flats of the said project proponents are situated at the western side of the Buckingham Canal (survey No.242)”.
However, the tribunal on noting that it is the case of the project proponent that either the road stated to have been in existence or the road put up behind the project is not required by them as access and the same was not put up by them and it was in existence for a long time, said “We should not express any opinion on that especially when the district collector has already initiated proceedings for its removal”.
It also held that “The allegations regarding encroachments or correctness of the plan are left open to be decided by the authorities concerned in accordance with law and take appropriate action”.
Tragedy waiting to happen:
Activist M R Saravanan, who has been campaigning for the removal of encroachments on water bodies said “The said project is coming up in 28 acres close to canal with a single entrance from OMR throwing all regulations to the wind. It is fondly hoped that the Government would act before a tragedy transpires.”
Watershed moment:
The massive floods of November–December 2015 has also brought into sharp focus that the waters did not drain into the Buckingham Canal unhindered, as they should have. This obviously has been due to various obstructions created in the name of development restricting the width of the channel in many places from the average 25 metres to 10 metres.
With polls fast approaching, the campaign point in Chennai is bound to revolve around augmenting “Singara Chennai”. But this can’t happen without coming up with a concrete and committed plan to clean-up Buckingham Canal and also the rivers linked to it. It is high time the government gave up the notion that development is the singular goal and protection of environment is only incidental to the main aim.
HISTORY CHANNEL
CLEAN CURSE
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