Tamil Nadu Timeline

InfrastructureBritish Crown rule

Buckingham Canal extended as famine relief

· Buckingham Canal

Buckingham Canal extended as famine relief
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A section of the coastal canal linking the Adyar and Cooum rivers was dug as famine relief work, and the canal was renamed the Buckingham Canal.

The saltwater navigation canal along the Coromandel Coast had been built in stages from 1806 and was known as the East Coast Canal. During the Great Famine of 1876-78, an 8 km section linking the Adyar and Cooum rivers in Madras was excavated as a relief work, with much of the cost spent on labour. In 1878 the canal was renamed after the Governor of Madras, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. It became an important route for moving goods between Madras and the northern coastal districts.

Related events

  1. 1806

    1. 1806Buckingham CanalInfrastructure

      First segment of the Buckingham Canal opens

      In 1806 a saltwater canal linking Madras with Ennore was finished; it would later form part of the Buckingham Canal.

  2. 1869

    1. 1869Napier BridgeInfrastructure

      Napier Bridge built over the Cooum

      Planned by Governor Lord Napier, a cast iron lattice bridge went up over the Cooum's mouth, joining Fort St. George to the Marina side.

  3. 1874

    1. 1874TiruchirappalliInfrastructure

      South Indian Railway Company formed

      In 1874 the Great Southern of India Railway merged with the Carnatic Railway to create the South Indian Railway Company, later based at Trichinopoly.

  4. 1876

    1. 1876 to 1878ChennaiDisaster

      Great Famine of 1876-1878

      Brought on by drought, a severe famine hit the Madras Presidency and other regions of India, killing millions.

    2. 1876Puzhal LakeInfrastructure

      Red Hills (Puzhal) reservoir built for Madras

      The Puzhal reservoir at Red Hills was built to supply water to Madras, and remains one of the city's main reservoirs.

  5. 1881

    1. 1881 to 1885Chennai PortInfrastructure

      Madras Harbour begins operations

      An artificial harbour at Madras began handling ships in 1881, though a cyclone the same year wrecked much of the breakwater.

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