The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has planted 20,000 mangrove seedlings across 20 hectares along the Buckingham Canal during 2025–26 as part of efforts to strengthen Chennai’s coastal ecosystem and improve climate resilience.
Sharing details in a post on social media platform X, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Supriya Sahu said, to ensure proper tidal flow essential for mangrove growth, officials have created a “fishbone” canal system at the site.
The network includes eight main fishbone canals, eight feeder canals, and 186 distribution channels that allow saline water to circulate through the plantation area.
According to Ms. Sahu, the plantation was carried out by the Chennai Forest Division, and supported by ICICI Bank under its corporate social responsibility programme.
The mangrove restoration is part of a phased programme to establish a green belt of mangrove species in the district. In the first phase, the Forest Department identified an island behind the Hiranandani apartments along Old Mahabalipuram Road at Kazhipattur village for plantation along the Buckingham Canal after obtaining permission from the Water Resources Department.
