Chennai, March 10 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has planted 20,000 mangrove seedlings across 20 hectares along the Buckingham Canal during 2025–26 as part of a major initiative to restore coastal ecosystems and enhance Chennai’s resilience to climate change.

Sharing details of the project on social media platform X, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Supriya Sahu, said the plantation effort is designed to create a natural coastal bioshield while improving ecological balance in the region.

To support the growth of mangroves, officials have developed an innovative “fishbone” canal system to ensure the proper tidal flow of saline water, which is essential for mangrove survival.

The system consists of eight main fishbone canals, eight feeder canals and 186 distribution channels that allow seawater to circulate effectively across the plantation area.

According to Sahu, the mangrove plantation was carried out by the Chennai Forest Division with financial support from ICICI Bank as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

The restoration effort is being implemented in phases with the goal of establishing a continuous mangrove green belt across vulnerable coastal stretches of the district.

In the first phase, the Forest Department identified an island behind the Hiranandani Apartments along Old Mahabalipuram Road at Kazhipattur village for the plantation, after obtaining the necessary permissions from the Water Resources Department.

During the 2024–25 phase, around 12,500 mangrove seedlings belonging to six species – Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera cylindrica, Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Excoecaria agallocha and Acanthus ilicifolius – were planted across 20 hectares.

In addition, approximately 2,500 associated coastal species were planted along the canal banks to strengthen the ecological habitat.

The second phase of the programme saw the planting of about 5,000 mangrove saplings at the Battle of Adyar Island, located at the estuary of the Adyar River. These included species such as Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia marina, and Excoecaria agallocha.

The latest phase has added 20,000 mangrove seedlings representing five species, including Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, and Excoecaria agallocha.

Chennai District Forest Officer V.A. Saravanan said the phased restoration programme aims to gradually rebuild the city’s mangrove cover.

The initiative, he noted, will not only protect the coastline from cyclones and sea-level rise but also nurture biodiversity and strengthen Chennais long-term ecological resilience.

–IANS

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