Journey of Ennore: From colonial seaside retreat to industrial hotspot

If one were to look up Ennore today, most results would point to its heavy industries, pollution and environmental degradation.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Chennai

Yet, barely a few decades ago, the picture was starkly different.

Located just 15 km north of Chennai, Ennore was once an idyllic village, bordered by a creek, a canal, the Kosasthalaiyar river and Pulicat lake. This tranquil setting began to change with industrialisation in the 1960s and 1970s, marked by the establishment of the Ennore Thermal Power Station—the first major industry that transformed the landscape beyond recognition.

A step further back in history reveals an altogether different story. In the 19th century, Ennore creek was a sought-after retreat for the British in Madras. The construction of the Cochrane Canal in 1803—a nearly 10-km waterway linking present-day George Town with Ennore—made the village more accessible. This canal would later form part of the 750-km-long Buckingham Canal that runs along the Coromandel Coast.