Lok Sabha Question No. 1776 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-11
Subject: Buckingham Canal Project
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 'I776

TO BE ANSWERED ON  '1  1TH FEBRUARY,2021

## BUCKINGHAM  CANAL PROJECT

1776. SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI:

will the Minister of PoRTS,  SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS  be pleased  to state: qild,*a  cfrilad 3ll{ daEFt i*

- (a) whether the Government  aims to complete  the Buckingham canal project  to make it freight canal between  Kakinada and Pondicherry;
- (b) if so, the details along  with the  present  status  thereof :
- whether any time frame has been fixed to complete the proiect; and (c)
- the details of the budget allocated and amount released so far, year-wise? (d)

## ANSWER

' MrNrsrER oF srArE ,'*ott1lBEfJ,fsss,it-t'^f^"Gig,xli  SHTPPTNG AND *ATERWAYS

(a)&(b)No,Sir.Kakinada-PuducherrycanalconsistingofKakinadacanal(Kakinadato iajahmundry-50  km), Eluru canal (Rajahmundry to Vijaywada-  139 km)'  Commamur canal ffijaywada  to  peddaganjam\_ 1 13 km), North Buckingham  canal  (peddaganjam  to central station or chennai-316 km) and south Buckingham canal (central Station of chennai to Marakanam-1 10 km) and Kaluvelly Tank (Marakanam to Puducherry-22  kml for a length of 750 km was declared as a part of National Waterway-  4 in 2008. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was completed in March, 2010 and the details are at Annex-|.  The DPR concluded that lnland Water  Transport development  in Buckingham canal is not feasible'

Also, in view of development  of road and rail network parallel to the Buckingham canal which is in the vicinity  of East coast, Buckingham  canal  was not found  tech no-econ om ically feasible for the purpose of navigation.

- (c) & (d) Questions do not arise in view of the reply to (a) & (b) above'

## Status  of Buckingham  Canal as a part of National  Waterway-4

Detailed  Project  Report  (DPR) for development  of navigation  in Kakinada  -  Puducherry canal along with river Godavari and Krishna of entire NW-4 was completed in March, 2010' As  per DPR, Buckingham canal consist of two stretches:-

1. North Buckingham canal (Pedaganjam to central  Station of chennai)  - 316 km and
2. South Buckingham canal (central  station of chennai to Marakanam)  -1 10 km

Both the above stretches of Buckingham  canal are tidal canals and remain  dry during  nonmonsoon  periods, 50 km stretch  connecting North and South Buckingham  canals in Chennai city is totally in abandoned  condition  and Tamil Nadu Govt. has allowed  Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS), to construct Elevated Railway Stations right over the canal and columns of MRTS flyover bridges are within the canal bed itself and in certain  places,  the pedestal foundation of column is exposed above the canal bed. Therefore, there is no navigation possible  in the Chennai  stretch and DPR recommends not to take up this stretch for IWT development.  The remaining  stretches  of Buckingham canal has a total of 52 nos. bridges out of which 28 nos. of bridges are to be modified or reconstructed to provide desired horizontal and vertical  clearances  to allow  passage  of design size of inland vessel. The survey of the canal indicated that the canals have been silted at many places and embankments  on either bank of some portions also levelled and there are defunct lock structures  and many  portions  of the canal are subjected to encroachments.