Amazon commits $1 million to restore Chennai’s polluted Adyar River

30 / 05 / 2026

By Marwa Nassar - -

Amazon has announced allocating about $1 million investment for its first water quality improvement project, aimed at restoring the Adyar River watershed in Chennai, India. The initiative is expected to treat more than 200 million liters of wastewater annually, addressing one of the city’s growing environmental challenges.

The Adyar River has come under increasing pressure from untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and plastic waste, highlighting the need for improved wastewater management across the region.

Modular Treatment Plant at Key Pollution Point

The project will establish a modular sewage treatment plant on the Buckingham Canal in Kotturpuram, a major entry point for untreated wastewater flowing into the Adyar River. The facility will treat sewage from the canal and recycle wastewater for a range of non-potable uses.

In addition to improving water quality, the initiative is expected to support public health efforts by reducing exposure to untreated sewage and lowering the risk of related disease outbreaks.

“Our country faces critical water challenges, with rivers like the Adyar suffering from severe pollution,” said Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations for Amazon India and Australia. “This project will not only help restore river health but also provide the community with a valuable new source of treated water.”

Delivering Environmental and Community Benefits

The treated water will be used to support river restoration efforts through the release of cleaner water into the Adyar River while also helping replenish depleted groundwater aquifers to strengthen long-term water security in Chennai.

The project will further support irrigation for nearby public parks and a Miyawaki forest, a dense woodland developed using a Japanese reforestation technique. Community organizations will also be able to collect treated water by tanker trucks for use in local schools and colleges, including toilet flushing and campus irrigation.

Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with SIV Impact Inc., in coordination with the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department.