As per the orders of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay: ➢ Desilting and restoration work on the Adyar river stretch at Manapakkam village, Alandur taluk, Chennai district ➢ Desilting and restoration work on the South Buckingham Canal near the flyover connecting East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road at Sholinganallur, Sholinganallur taluk, Chennai district Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, Thiru. N. Anand, flagged off and inspected the field works. As per the orders of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay, today (28-07-2026, Tuesday) at around 9.00 am, the desilting and restoration work on the Adyar river stretch at Manapakkam village, Alandur taluk, Chennai district, was launched and inspected on the ground. Subsequently, at around 11.00 am, the Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, Thiru. N. Anand, inspected and launched the desilting and restoration work on the South Buckingham Canal near the flyover connecting East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road at Sholinganallur, Chennai district. Desilting and restoration of the Adyar River: The Adyar River is one of the three main river basins of Chennai city. Originating from Adhanur Lake, it flows a total of 42.38 km and joins the Bay of Bengal near Pattinampakkam-Srinivasapuram. The catchment area of the Adyar River is 808 sq. km. It also carries surplus water from lakes in Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts, and from Chembarambakkam Lake, along with rainwater, into the sea. The surplus water from Chembarambakkam Lake joins the Adyar River after 17.18 km, and the river then flows a further 17.00 km through Chennai district before meeting the sea. Within the limits of Greater Chennai Corporation, this river is choked with water hyacinth, floating vegetation and debris that impede the water flow. Since the desilting work is being undertaken jointly by the Water Resources Department and an NGO, covering the stretch from below the airport runway to Thiru Vi Ka Bridge and the river mouth, this will facilitate unhindered flow of rain and flood water in the Adyar river through the Chennai metropolitan areas of Manapakkam, Nandambakkam, Kodambakkam, Jafferkhanpet, Saidapet, Kotturpuram and Mylapore. Desilting and restoration of the South Buckingham Canal: The Buckingham Canal runs from Pulicat Lake to Marakkanam backwaters, spanning 167 km with a width varying between 20 and 100 metres. The South Buckingham Canal runs about 23.5 km from the Adyar river stretch to the Muttukadu river mouth. During flood periods, about 8,000 cusecs of rainwater flows through this canal via Okkiyam Madavu into the Bay of Bengal. In the Sholinganallur area, near the flyover connecting East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road, the South Buckingham Canal is heavily choked with water hyacinth and floating debris washed in from areas such as Pallikaranai and Okkiyam Madavu, along with water plants that have grown in the area. This severely impedes water flow and reduces the canal's carrying capacity. As a result, water stagnation during the monsoon increases flood risk, affecting the public and nearby residential areas. Stagnant water also causes foul odour and mosquito breeding, in addition to health hazards. It is therefore essential that these be properly desilted and maintained. Accordingly, as per the orders of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and on the guidance of the Hon'ble Minister for Water Resources, with corporate participation and involvement of volunteers, the water hyacinth, floating debris and waste in the South Buckingham Canal in the Sholinganallur area will be removed to enable rainwater to flow unhindered into the sea during the monsoon. As part of flood pre-emptive works to be completed before the onset of the monsoon, as per the orders of the Hon'ble Chief Minister, the Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, Thiru. N. Anand, flagged off the desilting work, inspected it on the ground, and directed officials to complete it swiftly. The event was attended by Hon'ble Minister for Handlooms and Textiles Thiru. Vijay Balaji, MLA for Sholinganallur Thiru. P. Varavanan, MLA for Alandur Thiru. M. Harish, Regional Deputy Commissioner (South), Thiru. Aftab Rasool, IAS, Chief Engineer Tmt. M. Janaki, Water Resources Department engineers, and NGO representatives. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9