Sethusamudram .... woe continues

Sethusamudram  is the sea that separates Tamil Nadu, India, from Sri Lanka. It encompasses the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait, and a shoal of islands and bays that separate them called Ram Setu ("Rama Bridge", also known as Adam's Bridge). The name is derived from the episode recounted in the Hindu epic, Ramayana, in which Rama's army builds a bridge to cross over from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.

Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project  proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ramar Palam , Ram Sethu and Adam's bridge. The first proposal for the construction of the canal was made in 1860. There were 6 proposals up to 1922. After independence between 1956 and 1998, as many as 6 committees have recommended its construction. The proposed canal will have very significant consequences to one of the most important marine biodiversity areas of mainland India as well as Sri Lanka.

• Project conceptualised to reduce the distance of ships with destination in the east coast

• R K Pachauri committee stated that the project was 'unviable economically and environmentally'

• According to the Pachauri committee report, the project cost has increased by 101% to Rs 4,504 crore (Rs 45.04 billion) within 5 years

• The Centre readying to go ahead with the project, filed an affidavit last month in the Supreme Court

• The apex court has asked the TN government to make its stand clear within two weeks

•  Sethusamudram project alleged to be playing with the religious sentiments of the people. 

•  there are a lot of thorium reserves there which could be affected due to this project. 

The project is estimated to cost Indian Rs.20 billion with a debt equity ratio of 1: 1.5. The project authority is Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd. (SCL) headquartered in Chennai. The authorized capital of the company is Indian Rs.8 billion and the participants are Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) and Dredger Corporation of India (DCI). An MOU was signed in 2006 between SCL and the Suez Canal Authority Egypt for a period of 5 years to manage the SSCP which was targeted for completion in 2008.This would provide a continuous navigable sea route in and around the Indian Peninsula. The project involves digging a 44.9 nautical mile (83 km) long deepwater channel linking the shallow water of the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar. Conceived as early as 1860 by Alfred Dundas Taylor, it recently received approval of the Indian government. Government of India plans to break limestone shoals called Ram's Bridge or Ram Sethu as part of implementation of this project. A few organizations are opposing damage to Ramasethu on religious,environmental and economical grounds. Many of these parties or organizations support implementation of this project using one of the 5 alternative alignments considered earlier without damaging a structure considered sacred by Hindus. Current alignment is planned to be roughly in the middle of the straits, to provide the shortest course and the course requiring least maintenance. Other famous shipping canal projects like Suez Canal and Panama Canal projects are land based channels.

DISPUTE OVER ADAM’S BRIDGE

• A bunch of petitions opposing the project are pending before SC since 2007 for adjudication. Work on the Sethusamudram project stopped after SC ordered a stay against the dredging work. It had then constituted the Pachauri committee to study an alternative route. The committee, however, called for scrapping the project.
  Current status
  In its affidavit the government further stated it had already incurred Rs. 829.32 crore on the project as on June 30, 2012. . The work commenced after environmental clearances and was based on well-researched technical studies. But till date controversy grips sethu project.