Chennai, Sept 5:
Chennai’s Buckingham Canal is set for a major transformation under a Rs 876.35-crore project that envisages passenger boat services, electric boats, floating restaurants, improved walkways and better waterway connectivity.
The proposed project is aimed at giving a new lease of life to the historic waterway while creating an additional mode of urban mobility and improving the canal’s recreational potential.
Among the key features are passenger boat services and electric boats, which could eventually form part of a wider Water Metro-style transport network in Chennai. Floating restaurants and upgraded walkways are also proposed to enhance the public and tourism experience along the canal.
The project also includes measures relating to sewage treatment and flood prevention. These components are intended to address some of the longstanding environmental and civic challenges associated with the canal while improving its overall condition.
The proposed redevelopment is expected to combine transportation, environmental improvement and recreational infrastructure, potentially turning sections of the Buckingham Canal into a new urban attraction for Chennai.
The project is part of broader efforts to explore waterways as an additional component of Chennai’s transport and civic infrastructure.