Buckingham Canal back in the limelight

The article discusses the renewed focus on restoring the Buckingham Canal (B'Canal) in Chennai, highlighting a proposed ₹876.35-crore plan for its navigability. It traces the canal's history from its construction in 1806 as Cochrane Canal, its expansion, and renaming to Buckingham Canal in 1878. Historically, it served as a vital and cheap transportation link for goods and passengers between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The article details its decline due to pollution from sewage and industrial effluents, slum encroachments, and the rise of alternative transport modes. It also covers past efforts for its improvement, its role as a flood carrier, and its designation as part of National Waterway 4. The current government's initiative aims to revive its functionality and address long-standing environmental issues.