Buckingham Canal

Buckingham Canal Latest News

The restoration of the Buckingham Canal yet again occupied the attention of the authorities after the new government came into power in Tamil Nadu. 

About Buckingham Canal

• It runs along the east coast of India for about 450 km (250 km in Andhra Pradesh and 200 km in Tamil Nadu).
• Together with the Krishna and Godavari irrigation canal systems, it was once a continuous, navigable stretch of about 650 km.
• Economic lifeline: It was once the only main route by which bulky commodities, such as fuel, salt, and dried fish, could be profitably brought to the city of Madras (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu state.
• Historical Background
  • It was originally constructed in 1806 by Basil Cochrane and privately owned and operated by him; the waterway was then called Cochrane Canal.
  • It was taken over by the government in 1837 and named it as East Coast Canal and extended in 1857 to Dugarajapatnam (in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh)
  • In 1878, it acquired the present name after the Governor of Madras, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.
• Issues: It is faced with encroachment and severe pollution woes with untreated sewage and solid waste.

Source: TH

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