Tholkappia Poonga, the 58-acre Adyar Eco Park off Greenways Road in Raja Annamalaipuram, reopened in October 2025 after a Rs 42.45 crore renovation by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT). Since then the public can visit on an afternoon slot of 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm, but only with an online booking made in advance, DT Next reported at the reopening.
It is not a typical city park. There are no lawns or play areas in the core. It is a restored tidal creek, where the main point is to watch birds, crabs and mangrove-edge plants. This guide covers what changed in the renovation, the visiting slots and passes, and what wildlife you can expect.
From dump yard to tidal wetland
Adyar Creek once stored storm water from Mandaveli and the surrounding catchment and acted as a tidal reservoir for the river mouth. Over the decades sewage outfalls, dumped waste and a thicket of the invasive Prosopis juliflora shrank the water spread. According to CRRT’s project page, the government began looking at protecting the creek in 1997, and restoration ran from 2008 to 2011. The park first opened on 22 January 2011.
CRRT lists the main works:
- About 2.80 lakh cubic metres of sludge and debris were dug out to widen the water area.
- Sewage from seven storm-drain outfalls was diverted into sewer lines.
- The excavated soil was shaped into mounds that carry coastal vegetation and cut traffic noise.
- About 1,10,161 plants of 172 species typical of the Coromandel coast were planted.
The 58-acre park is Phase I of a 358-acre stretch of creek and estuary for which the government sanctioned Rs 100 crore. The other 300 acres, east of the bridge, form Phase II.
What the 2025 renovation added
The park had run down for lack of maintenance, the state said when it reopened. The 2025 work, sanctioned in June 2021, added a new entrance arch, a viewing tower, a butterfly garden, a children’s play area, an open-air theatre, snack kiosks and toilets, plus a 3.2 km walking and jogging track. A skywalk built by the Greater Chennai Corporation links Phases I and II.
Visiting slots, passes and fees
These are the arrangements announced at the October 2025 reopening:
| Visitor type | When | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| General public | 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm, online booking needed | Not specified |
| School groups (up to 100 students) | 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, advance online booking | Rs 10 per student |
| Walkers | 6.30 am to 8 am and 4.30 pm to 6 pm, every day | Rs 20 per visit |
| Walkers’ passes | Same hours | Rs 500 a month, Rs 1,500 a quarter, Rs 2,500 a half-year, Rs 5,000 a year |
School days are split by type: Corporation schools on Tuesdays and Saturdays, government and aided schools on Fridays, and private schools on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. The park closes to general visitors on Thursdays for maintenance and on public holidays, though the walkers’ slots run all week.
CRRT’s rules for walkers are strict. Passes are for adults only, cannot be transferred or refunded, and need an ID card or email pass. Walkers must use the main gate and stay on marked paths, and a breach can mean cancellation without reissue. All visitors are asked to keep quiet, stay on trails, keep out of the water and not feed animals, pluck plants, bring pets, smoke, drink or play music.
Wildlife to look for
A faunal survey across the 358 acres counted 424 animal species after restoration, against 141 before, CRRT says. The list spans molluscs, crabs, dragonflies, butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. DT Next reported the same rise in June 2024 when describing the mangrove and native planting on the creek and estuary.
The best-documented success is a small painted stork colony. Researchers recorded two active nests in arjuna trees in February 2020, one of which produced chicks, and confirmed four sub-adults by July 2021. They now estimate 10 to 15 storks use the park regularly, DT Next reported in September 2025, calling it the first documented breeding at the site since restoration.
For a short visit, scan the water edges for egrets, herons and kingfishers, watch the mudflats at low tide for fiddler crabs, and check the new butterfly garden on sunny mornings.
The water problem next door
The park depends on the Adyar, and the river is still badly polluted. A Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board report cited by DT Next in January 2025 found no dissolved oxygen in the river near the eco park in October 2024, against a required minimum of 4 mg per litre. Faecal coliform was 1,026 per 100 ml, roughly ten times the standard of 100. The board directed the Corporation to stop sewage discharges and set up a treatment plant there. Until the river is cleaner, expect occasional smells and fish kills along the channel, especially in dry months.
Quick answers
Can anyone walk into Tholkappia Poonga?
No. General visitors need an online booking for the 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm slot, and walkers need a pass or a per-visit ticket.
Which day is it closed?
Thursdays for maintenance, and public holidays, for general visitors. Walkers’ hours run all week.
Can children join the morning walkers?
No. Walkers’ passes are for adults only. Children can come with a school group or on a booked public visit.
Who runs the park?
The Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust, a state government body, which carried out both the original restoration and the 2025 renovation.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Adyar Eco Park Phase I, Tholkappia Poonga (Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust)
- CM Stalin opens renovated Tholkappia Poonga in Chennai (DT Next, October 2025)
- Adyar eco park successfully breeds painted storks inside sanctuary (DT Next, September 2025)
- Adyar has 10X fecal coliform than normal and nil dissolved O2 (DT Next, January 2025)
- Restoration works breathe life into Adyar creek and estuary (DT Next, June 2024)
