CHENNAI: Months before the northeast monsoon is due to hit Chennai, a stretch of the Buckingham Canal near the Kodungaiyur landfill has been choked by sand and construction debris, cutting its effective width by nearly three-fourths and reviving fears of the kind of flooding that hit north Chennai during Cyclone Michaung.
A visit by the TNIE found large mounds of sand and debris dumped inside the canal, while thick clusters of water hyacinth covered parts of the waterway.
The Buckingham Canal is 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 said the dumping could significantly reduce the canal’s carrying capacity.
Residents of Vyasarpadi told the TNIE that any obstruction in the canal’s flow could lead to severe waterlogging and prolonged inundation during heavy rains. They recalled that during Cyclone Michaung in December 2023, floodwaters from the Captain Cotton and Kodungaiyur canals could not drain because of high water levels and restricted flow in the Buckingham Canal, inundating several neighbourhoods.
This is not the first time the spot has been blocked. Google Earth images show the canal obstructed on both banks a few metres from the current dumping site as recently as June 2025.Dinesh V (17), a resident of JJR Nagar in Vyasarpadi, recalled that episode. “Officials said a bridge was being built to create a pathway for dumping waste. We pointed out that the blockage would slow the flow of water, making the area more vulnerable during monsoon.
After our objections, the debris was removed,” he said. “If the fresh debris isn’t cleared before the monsoon, it will again block the Buckingham Canal. Moreover, the Captain Cotton Canal has only hip-high retaining walls, any rise in water level could send it overflowing into streets of Mullai Nagar, Sathya Moorthy Nagar, Udhaya Suriyan Nagar, Ezhil Nagar and JJR Nagar.”
An official said the civic body had originally planned a burial ground near the landfill, with a bridge across the canal to serve as an approach pathway. That plan was dropped after the land was reassigned for fresh waste dumping amid ongoing biomining operations at the landfill. The official said the contractor has been directed to remove the soil and debris within three days, failing which the GCC will undertake the work. Water hyacinth removal has already begun, the official added.
Mayor chairs review meet
GCC Mayor R Priya chaired a northeast monsoon preparedness meeting at Ripon Building on Wednesday. An official release said the civic body removed around 16,270 metric tonnes of silt and water hyacinth from canals, lakes and ponds between May 2 and July 10. Of the 241 ponds maintained by the GCC, improvement works are under way in 83 ponds at a cost of `214 crore