Tamil Nadu News

Chennai Mangrove Restoration

March 12 , 2026 13 hrs 0 min 16 0

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department planted 20,000 mangrove seedlings along the Buckingham Canal to strengthen Chennai’s coastal ecosystem and improve climate resilience.
The mangrove restoration is part of a phased programme to establish a green belt of mangrove species in the district.
During 2024–25, about 12,500 seedlings of six species — Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera cylindrica, Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Excoecaria agallocha, and Acanthus ilicifolius — were planted across 20 hectares.
In the second phase, around 5,000 mangrove saplings of species including Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia marina, and Excoecaria agallocha were planted at the Battle of Adyar Island on the Adyar River estuary.
The latest phase involves planting 20,000 seedlings of five species: Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, and Excoecaria agallocha.
The step-by-step restoration aims to rebuild Chennai’s mangrove cover, create a living coastal bioshield, protect the shoreline, nurture biodiversity, and strengthen the city’s resilience to cyclones and sea-level rise.