Chennai has only about 85 hectares of mangroves, and a coastal study by the National Centre for Coastal Research found that patch too small to act as a storm buffer for the city, DT Next reported in 2024. That is why the Forest Department’s recent plantings at the Adyar estuary and Ennore Creek matter: they are attempts to grow back a natural shield along a coast that faces a cyclone almost every northeast monsoon.
Across Tamil Nadu, the picture depends on whose count you use. Here is what the official figures say, what has been planted near Chennai, and why these salt-tolerant forests are worth the effort.
How much mangrove does Tamil Nadu have
The Forest Survey of India’s biennial State of Forest Report measured Tamil Nadu’s mangrove cover at 41.91 sq km in both its 2021 and 2023 editions, the Environment Ministry told Parliament in an answer on 3 February 2025. The state’s own figures are higher, partly because they count young plantations the satellite survey does not yet pick up.
| Measure | Area | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu mangrove cover (ISFR) | 41.91 sq km | FSI, 2021 and 2023 |
| Tamil Nadu mangroves (coastal study) | 6,473 ha | NCCR study, 2023 |
| Tamil Nadu mangroves (Forest Department) | 9,039 ha | Forest official, 2024 |
| Chennai district mangroves | 85 ha | NCCR study, 2023 |
A forest official told PTI in September 2025 that the state’s mangrove area had grown from 4,500 hectares in 2021 to 9,039 hectares in 2024, roughly doubling in three years, as DT Next carried. Since 41.91 sq km equals 4,191 hectares, the two sets of figures should not be read as one series.
Adyar estuary: a fishbone of channels
In 2025 the Chennai forest division planted 5,000 mangrove saplings across 5 hectares of the Adyar estuary near the Broken Bridge, according to Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu, quoted in the same report. The site was laid out in a fishbone pattern: three main canals and 62 smaller distribution channels let tidal water reach every row of saplings. To keep grazing cattle out, workers put up 582 metres of fish nets and old saris as fencing.
The estuary is in the middle of the city, between Besant Nagar and Foreshore Estate, so this is one of the few places where residents can watch a mangrove patch take shape from a public road.
Ennore Creek: restoration after pollution
North Chennai’s Ennore Creek has been damaged by industrial effluent, fly ash and oil spills. The Forest Department’s restoration there covers 15 hectares in the current phase, 4 of them using the fishbone method, and about 250 hectares of invasive Prosopis juliflora have been cleared, IANS reported in November 2025. About 1.8 lakh saplings went in during the previous season and another 20,000 were being planted, from a central nursery at Kattuppalli that raised over a lakh seedlings. Officials said saplings need at least two years to establish.
Ennore Creek appears in the list of 100 wetlands identified under the Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission, which brings it into the state’s wetland restoration programme.
Pulicat, the big one to the north
Pulicat Lake, which straddles the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh border in Tiruvallur district, is the largest brackish-water system near Chennai and a bird sanctuary on the Wetlands Mission list. Its fringes carry mangrove patches and mudflats that support fishing villages and huge flocks of migratory birds. It lies beyond Chennai’s city limits but is a day trip from the north of the city.
Why mangroves matter for storms
- They slow water down. Dense roots and stems cut the force of storm surge and waves before they reach land, which is why the NCCR study mapped mangroves as potential bio-shields.
- They hold the shore. Root mats trap silt and resist erosion; about 41 per cent of the state’s coast is eroding, according to the same study.
- They feed the creek. Restored mangroves support algae, zooplankton, fish and prawns, which local fishers depend on.
- They give birds a roost. Herons, egrets and migratory waders use them for feeding and nesting.
The state’s Tamil Nadu Mangrove Mission, part of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, aims to plant and restore mangroves in nine coastal districts as a natural defence against cyclones and tsunamis.
Quick answers
How much mangrove does Chennai have?
About 85 hectares, according to a 2023 study by the National Centre for Coastal Research.
What is the official Tamil Nadu mangrove cover?
41.91 sq km in the Forest Survey of India’s 2023 report; the state’s own estimate for 2024 is 9,039 hectares.
Where are mangroves being planted in Chennai?
At the Adyar estuary near the Broken Bridge and along Ennore Creek in north Chennai.
Can mangroves stop cyclone flooding?
They reduce wave force and surge but cannot prevent flooding on their own. They work alongside dunes, drains and planning.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 201 on MISHTI, 3 February 2025 (Parliament Digital Library)
- TN’s mangrove cover doubled in 3 years, green belt raised in Chennai’s Adyar Estuary: Official (DT Next / PTI)
- TN govt launches major mangrove push to restore Ennore Creek (IANS, via The News Minute)
- State lost 12 per cent of coastal vegetation in last decade: Study (DT Next)
- List of 100 wetlands identified under Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission (TN State Wetland Authority)
- Green Tamil Nadu Mission (Government of Tamil Nadu)
