Alignment, not Ram, delayed Sethu project
Swati Das TNN
Chennai: Cutting a canal across the sand dunes and limestone rocks from Rameswaram to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka has been a dream for about 150 years. The aim was to reduce the distance and time, connecting the east coast to the west without having to go around the island country of Sri Lanka. But the sentiments over ‘cutting Ram Sethu’ had never been a consideration until now. The top priorities were safety of the canal and the ships, ecology, engineering and people’s convenience. The prime objective was to connect the Palk Bay in the north of Rameswaram to Gulf of Mannar (GoM) in the south. In 1922, the harbour engineer to the government of Madras, Sir Robert Bristow, while suggesting his alignment had stated: “It reduces the distance from off Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) to Madras (Chennai), Calcutta (Kolkata) and Rangoon by 333, 240 and 109 miles, respectively, and from Trincomalee to Cape Comorin by 125 miles.” As many as 15 alignments were suggested in the past 147 years. Initially, the onslaught of the two monsoons — southwest and northeast — formed the grounds for finding the right alignment, and viability of the alignment was the key reason for shelving of proposals. But after the consulting engineer, Sir John Code of the South India Ship Canal Port, came up with the first satisfactory alignment, the huge costs involved became the major block. Post-Independence, preservation of the marine reserve was the main concern. Today, lost in the argument over the existence of Rama, the warring parties are overlooking the practicality of geological, ecological, economical and human concerns. The current alignment is just 3 km inside the Indo-Sri Lanka Medial Line and 20 km away from Shingle Island — the closest point of the National Marine Park from the proposed canal. It cuts through two shallows — Adam’s Bridge (3m depth) that separates Palk Bay and GoM, and Palk Strait (6-8m). It uses the natural depth in GoM south of Adam’s Bridge and other areas of Palk Bay. Those opposing the “damage” to Adam’s bridge or “Ram Sethu” want an alignment that will cut through Dhanushkodi and exit close to Shingle Island. There were nine proposals between 1860 and 1922 and six proposals between 1956 and now, listed by the Sethusamudram Corporation Limited.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Ram Sethu: Conflict between faith, Science
It takes an hour-long boat ride from Dhanushkodi into the Bay of Bengal to reach Ram Sethu, the ground zero for the controversy surrounding the Sethusamudram channel project, a conflict between faith and scientific investigation.Here in the vastness of the sea believers say they can feel the presence of God and maritime engineers the presence of opportunity.As NDTV navigate its way to what the fisher folk call the Naangam Thittu, the fourth of the six islets in Indian waters together called Ram Sethu, NDTV know a single boat ride will not settle the age-old dispute between the religion and reason.The British called this 30-mile chain of limestone shoal, the Adam's Bridge, but ancient Hindu mythology always knew it as the Ram Sethu.And for the faithful this is not mere coral and stone. Holy men they say once walked over these choppy waters.Legend has it that Hanuman built a bridge so that Ram could make his way to Lanka and bring Sita back to safety.For Modern India here's the dilemma. Should these stones be broken down to make way for giant ships? Ram Sethu, a 30 km long sandy bridge presents formidable hindrance for navigation because of the shallow waters around.The idea is to cut across this so that ships could sail through without having to go around SriLanka.
Small donation
The believers say 30 extra hours of sailing time is a small donation at the temple of God, the Ram Sethu must not be destroyed.''It is economic development along the entire coast and it will also provide a great opportunity to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre to solve the fishermen's issues. Today hundreds of boats are crossing over to the Lankan side,'' said Commodore R S Vasan, Maritime Expert.Lost in the din of the religious battle are the more controversial dimensions of the project. Is it environmentally safe? This fragile coral reef many believe was a natural defence against the 2003 tsunami. Now cranes and bulldozers could swallow hundreds of rare marine species and coral reefs. ''The canal is actually destroying scheduled protected species under the wildlife act 1972. Now corals are schedule 1, which means the same status as a tiger,'' said Sudarshan Rodriguez, Environmantalist.The controversy has split open the religious divide between the North and the South in a state known for its anti-Aryan movement.Ram is not always a hero and there were no protests against the project till the BJP took it up. The Dravidians have rubbished the fuss as an Aryan obsession.''It's a battle between us and those dominant forces who are trying to spread superstition,'' said M Karunanidhi, CM, Tamil Nadu. The only option for the UPA government is to change the alignment of the channel, keeping the Ram Sethu intact.But this will affect the livelihood of lakhs of fishermen in six coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.While the DMK had its way all along, the big question is can the UPA afford to be indifferent to Hindu sentiments just to appease its Dravidian ally.
source : NDTV
Small donation
The believers say 30 extra hours of sailing time is a small donation at the temple of God, the Ram Sethu must not be destroyed.''It is economic development along the entire coast and it will also provide a great opportunity to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre to solve the fishermen's issues. Today hundreds of boats are crossing over to the Lankan side,'' said Commodore R S Vasan, Maritime Expert.Lost in the din of the religious battle are the more controversial dimensions of the project. Is it environmentally safe? This fragile coral reef many believe was a natural defence against the 2003 tsunami. Now cranes and bulldozers could swallow hundreds of rare marine species and coral reefs. ''The canal is actually destroying scheduled protected species under the wildlife act 1972. Now corals are schedule 1, which means the same status as a tiger,'' said Sudarshan Rodriguez, Environmantalist.The controversy has split open the religious divide between the North and the South in a state known for its anti-Aryan movement.Ram is not always a hero and there were no protests against the project till the BJP took it up. The Dravidians have rubbished the fuss as an Aryan obsession.''It's a battle between us and those dominant forces who are trying to spread superstition,'' said M Karunanidhi, CM, Tamil Nadu. The only option for the UPA government is to change the alignment of the channel, keeping the Ram Sethu intact.But this will affect the livelihood of lakhs of fishermen in six coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.While the DMK had its way all along, the big question is can the UPA afford to be indifferent to Hindu sentiments just to appease its Dravidian ally.
source : NDTV
Thursday, September 13, 2007
It’s a natural structure: Experts
A gulf over Ram’s bridge
The Sethusamudram controversy has flared up. The two canals to be dredged, a total of 89 km, are supposed to open new economic avenues. But, the proposal to cut through the bridge, said to have transported Ram’s army, has environmentalists, politicians and VHP up in arms. A look at the arguments and issues:
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
No major damage likely. Coral presence along route is negligible. Dredging not a threat to ecosystems like Mannar biosphere, coastal populations. Will increase opportunities for fishermen
THE CATCH:
Coral reef will be dredged, turbidity will be harmful. Bridge is natural defense against storms and tsunamis. Mix of hot-cold currents creates unique biosphere. Big ships will disturb fishing. Significant seismic activity
ECONOMICS OF THE CANAL
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Siltation removal will not be prohibitive. Route will save 36 hours and 450 km for ships. It will provide transit for nine ships a day to begin with. Tuticorin port will be transformed into nodal hub. 13 minor ports planned
THE CATCH:
Sedimentation not accounted for. Ships will have to do a tightrope in shallow waters. Those displacing more than 10 mtrs cannot use canal. Max weightage is 30,000t, unlike 300,000t for Suez or Panama. Difficult to tow damaged ships
SECURITY CHECKS
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Will allow swifter movement of small naval and coast guard craft. Will afford better control of east and west coast to check smuggling, terrorism. Direct Bay of Bengal-Arabian Sea link through Indian waters
THE CATCH:
Ships, particularly commercial, are vulnerable to attacks by LTTE. If Tigers’ security in north Sri Lanka is affected, they may target vessels. The narrow and shallow nature of the canal means an accident may block it for weeks
POLITICAL WHIRLPOOL
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Govt says that its view that there is no historical basis to the characters and events of Ramayana is misunderstood. Govt respects the epic and will correct its position in the Supreme Court
THE CATCH:
Centre’s affidavit on Ram Setu is fodder for VHP which says the bridge is a matter of faith. BJP supports the stir, saying Centre has ‘insulted’ Hindu faith. But NDA had in its 2004 manifesto promised completion of project. Now BJP calls for realigning canal
It’s a natural structure: Experts
Rajiv Mani TNN
Allahabad: Whatever the Centre’s affidavit may say about the existence of Lord Ram, marine experts are unanimous that opposing the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project is a waste of time. The Ram Setu, according to them, is a natural marine structure over one-lakhyear-old and not man-made (during Ramayana era) as is made out to be.
Moreover, experts also termed as baseless the fear that the removal of sediments of a small area of this setu would increase the intensity of tsunami. ‘‘The long stretch of sea around the area is shallow which helps disintegrate the energy of the killer wave,’’ they say.
‘‘It is a natural occurrence of the continuity of sandstone sedimentation which stretches below Dhanushkoti and the isotopic dating indicates that the deposition is over one-lakh-year old,’’ said Prof Victor Raja Mannikam, head of department, disaster management at Sastra University, Thanjavur. He has studied the site in depth and is considered to be an authority over Ram Setu. Emphatically stating that the structure, without doubt, is natural, Manikkam says that there is no way it could be associated with Ramayana as the epic dates back to around 5000 BC and this natural sedimentation is over one lakh years old.
Elaborating further, Harshe Gupta, director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), says that the removal of sediments of a small area of this setu would not increase the intensity of tsunami as the shallowness of the sea in the area decreases the velocity of the wave, which otherwise travel at the rate of 700 km per hour in deep sea.
Similarly, N Dubey, associate professor at Makelle University, Ethiopia and an expert in marine sedimentary, says that structure of rocks is identical to what are found on the shores. It is possible that the floating stone, as mentioned in the epic, are colonies of coral which are still available in abundance around the area.
source : TOI 14.09.2007
The Sethusamudram controversy has flared up. The two canals to be dredged, a total of 89 km, are supposed to open new economic avenues. But, the proposal to cut through the bridge, said to have transported Ram’s army, has environmentalists, politicians and VHP up in arms. A look at the arguments and issues:
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
No major damage likely. Coral presence along route is negligible. Dredging not a threat to ecosystems like Mannar biosphere, coastal populations. Will increase opportunities for fishermen
THE CATCH:
Coral reef will be dredged, turbidity will be harmful. Bridge is natural defense against storms and tsunamis. Mix of hot-cold currents creates unique biosphere. Big ships will disturb fishing. Significant seismic activity
ECONOMICS OF THE CANAL
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Siltation removal will not be prohibitive. Route will save 36 hours and 450 km for ships. It will provide transit for nine ships a day to begin with. Tuticorin port will be transformed into nodal hub. 13 minor ports planned
THE CATCH:
Sedimentation not accounted for. Ships will have to do a tightrope in shallow waters. Those displacing more than 10 mtrs cannot use canal. Max weightage is 30,000t, unlike 300,000t for Suez or Panama. Difficult to tow damaged ships
SECURITY CHECKS
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Will allow swifter movement of small naval and coast guard craft. Will afford better control of east and west coast to check smuggling, terrorism. Direct Bay of Bengal-Arabian Sea link through Indian waters
THE CATCH:
Ships, particularly commercial, are vulnerable to attacks by LTTE. If Tigers’ security in north Sri Lanka is affected, they may target vessels. The narrow and shallow nature of the canal means an accident may block it for weeks
POLITICAL WHIRLPOOL
OFFICIAL CLAIM:
Govt says that its view that there is no historical basis to the characters and events of Ramayana is misunderstood. Govt respects the epic and will correct its position in the Supreme Court
THE CATCH:
Centre’s affidavit on Ram Setu is fodder for VHP which says the bridge is a matter of faith. BJP supports the stir, saying Centre has ‘insulted’ Hindu faith. But NDA had in its 2004 manifesto promised completion of project. Now BJP calls for realigning canal
It’s a natural structure: Experts
Rajiv Mani TNN
Allahabad: Whatever the Centre’s affidavit may say about the existence of Lord Ram, marine experts are unanimous that opposing the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project is a waste of time. The Ram Setu, according to them, is a natural marine structure over one-lakhyear-old and not man-made (during Ramayana era) as is made out to be.
Moreover, experts also termed as baseless the fear that the removal of sediments of a small area of this setu would increase the intensity of tsunami. ‘‘The long stretch of sea around the area is shallow which helps disintegrate the energy of the killer wave,’’ they say.
‘‘It is a natural occurrence of the continuity of sandstone sedimentation which stretches below Dhanushkoti and the isotopic dating indicates that the deposition is over one-lakh-year old,’’ said Prof Victor Raja Mannikam, head of department, disaster management at Sastra University, Thanjavur. He has studied the site in depth and is considered to be an authority over Ram Setu. Emphatically stating that the structure, without doubt, is natural, Manikkam says that there is no way it could be associated with Ramayana as the epic dates back to around 5000 BC and this natural sedimentation is over one lakh years old.
Elaborating further, Harshe Gupta, director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), says that the removal of sediments of a small area of this setu would not increase the intensity of tsunami as the shallowness of the sea in the area decreases the velocity of the wave, which otherwise travel at the rate of 700 km per hour in deep sea.
Similarly, N Dubey, associate professor at Makelle University, Ethiopia and an expert in marine sedimentary, says that structure of rocks is identical to what are found on the shores. It is possible that the floating stone, as mentioned in the epic, are colonies of coral which are still available in abundance around the area.
source : TOI 14.09.2007
Sethusamudram Canal History & Facts
Sethusamudram Canal History & Facts
Hindus believe that the stretch of limestone shoals between Dhanushkodi near Rameshwaram in Southern India and Mannar in Northwest Sri Lanka are the remains of an ancient bridge built by Lord Rama, as described in the holy epic, Ramayana.
Recent NASA satellite images show clear pictures of a broken bridge under the ocean floor. The heritage of the bridge and the story of Lord Rama are extremely sacred to Hindus.
The ocean floor between India and Sri Lanka near the Mannar coast is very shallow and is not navigable. It does not allow ships to pass. This means that. India does not have a continuous navigational channel linking the east and west coasts. Ships coming from India's west and heading to Bangladesh or Indian ports on the east coast have to go around Sri Lanka because the waterway in the sea dividing the two countries is shallow.
Therefore, the Government of India has proposed the dredging of the sea to create a shipping canal to save up to 780 km of sailing distance and 30 hours of sailing time for ships plying between the east and west coasts of India.
Indian officials say the canal, which is called the Sethusamudram project, will also boost the national economy besides speeding up the movement of Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels as well.
Hindu groups say this may be true but such economic progress cannot be at the expense of Ram Sethu, as they refer to Adam's Bridge, located at the southern end of the Sethusamudram project.
This is where an estimated 48 million cubic metres of silt will be removed over the next two years.
The construction of the canal immediately led to wide protests in India by Hindu leaders. Several holy men have gathered together to launch a campaign of protest.
In March 2007, over ten Hindu umbrella organizations from around the world joined together to launch the Save Ram Sethu Campaign (Ram Sethu Bachao Andolan) to increase the profile of the issue amongst the international communities.
The campaign hopes to convince the Government of India to reconsider the construction of the canal as it will hurt religious sentiments of millions of Hindus and also pose a great risk to the environment of the region and the livelihood of local fishermen.
Environmental implications of the Sethusamudram project Effect on marine life
Though there has been a demand from various quarters for the implementation of the project, there is also opposition to it from environmentalists. They point out that the dredging of the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar could affect the ecology of the zone by changing currents, which could:
· cause changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity and flow of nutrients
· cause oil spills from ship and other marine pollution to reach the coastal areas and specifically the sensitive ecosystems of the Gulf of Mannar
· lead to higher tides and to more energetic waves, and hence to coastal erosion.
· affect the local sea temperature and thereby alter the pattern of sea-breezes and hence affect rainfall patterns.
They also point out that dredging the canal could stir up the dust and toxins that lie beneath the sea bed, affecting marine life. The emptying of bilge water from ships traveling through the hitherto impassable areas could disperse invasive species through the ecosystems of the area.
These effects could endanger precious marine species and wealth. The Gulf of Mannar has 3,600 species of plants and animals and is India's biologically richest coastal region. Mammal species which abound in the area are sperm whales, dolphins and dugongs. The Gulf of Mannar is especially known for its corals: the portion in Indian territorial waters has 117 species of corals, belonging to 37 genera. Associated with these ecosystems are many varieties of fish and crustaceans. Marine life on the Sri Lankan side, which is better protected, is even richer. The Bar Reef off the Kalpitiya peninsular alone has 156 species of coral and 283 of fish; there are two other coral reef systems around Mannar and Jaffna. There are extensive banks of oysters, as well as Indian Chank and Sea Cucumbers, especially in the seas adjacent to Mannar. The pearl fisheries south of Mannar, which inspired Georges Bizet's opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles, have not been productive for many years, indicating the fragility of these ecosystems in the face of overfishing and of relatively minor changes in the habitat.
The Indian government has conducted various environmental studies which ignore some of the above issues by claiming that such issues have already been addressed. Nevertheless, the fundamental environmentalist objections based on facts remain:
· the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Indian government was done by a body inexperienced in projects of this nature, was insufficiently detailed and did not consult with all the stakeholders, which included the government and people on the southern side of the proposed project,
· no proper survey has been carried out of the sea bed to be dredged, and
· no proper scientific modelling of the effects of the project has been carried out.
After environmental objections were made in Sri Lanka, the Indian government belatedly decided to carry out modelling, but this had not been done before clearance was given for the project. A modelling exercise carried out by Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) indicated that the project would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. [1] There have also been judicial observations against this project
[2]. Fishing and livelihood
On July 2, 2005, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project amidst protests from fishermen and environmentalists. Nearly 600 were arrested. The fishermen protested because they feared that the dredging would deepen the sea waters and prevent them from venturing into deep sea (which is currently shallow), where their livelihoods lie.
Legendary
Some claim that this land bridge is the site of the famous Rama's Bridge, making it a historical, religious and cultural monument of great significance. For this reason, many, including chief ministers of states[3], oppose the project.
Several claims and estimates have been made regarding the age of Rama's bridge and its relation to the Indian epic Ramayana.
a)Rama's bridge is 3,500 years old: CRS {Source: Indian Express}: "Ramasamy explains that the land/beaches were formed between Ramanathapuram and Pamban because of the long shore drifting currents which moved in an anti-clockwise direction in the north and clockwise direction in the south of Rameswaram and Talaimannar about 3,500 years ago. ... But as the carbon dating of the beaches roughly matches the dates of Ramayana, its link to the epic needs to be explored, he adds.
"[4] b) NASA Images Find 1,750,000 Year Old Man-Made Bridge {Source: [HindustanTimes-http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_81164,0003.htm (DeadLink)], Reported by PTI}: "The bridge's unique curvature and composition by age reveals that it is man made. The legends as well as Archeological studies reveal that the first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date back to the a primitive age, about 1,750,000 years ago and the bridge's age is also almost equivalent.
Inconsistencies in the NEERI Environmental Impact Assessment
(Extracts from article by V Sundaram)
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal in its present form is scientifically inconsistent and technically indefensible for the following reasons:
1) According to Dr Ramesh, NEERI Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the study that gives the SSCP, its scientific legitimacy, has ignored the studies available on the sedimentation pattern of Palk Bay completely and has not fixed the exact locations wherein the dredged material would be dumped - these studies are crucial for the economic and technical survival of project, as they will give us an idea of how much sediment should be dredged each season and also prepare us for a study that will tell us where the dumped sediments will move every season.
2) Subsurface geology has been studied only for the 20 kilo meter stretch of the canal in the Adam's Bridge area. Nothing is known about the subsurface geology of the Palk Strait region. Considering the fact that the canal's length will be 54.2 km; if the sub surface turns out to be rocky, the cost of the project will go up many folds, and the effect of blasting these rocks would cause serious damages to the Palk Bay environment. This was clearly stated in the Technical Feasibility Report prepared by NEERI only to be politically ignored at the time of political sanction of SSCP.
3) The historical cyclone data for this region from the years 1860 to 2000 clearly indicate that cyclones cross this region and its neighborhood once in every four years. Historically we have enough data to show that all these cyclones have caused severe erosion of the coastal stretch in the nearby areas from time to time by dumping the eroded material in Palk Bay and Adam's Bridge area. NEERI's EIA has not taken note of this natural phenomenon at all.
4) Indomer's 'Hydrodynamic Modeling Study for SSCP' has also ignored the issue of the impact of cyclones on the canal completely. Thus, we do not know, what will happen to the canal in scientific terms during the period of cyclones.
5) Tsunami computer simulation models by Professor Steven N Ward of University of California, Professor Aditya Riyadi of Pusat Penelitian Kelautan Insitut Teknologi, Bandung, Indonesia, WI-Delft Hydraulics, Netherlands and DHI Software, USA and Indomer-Alkyon have described graphically the way tsunami waves attacked Palk Bay on 26 December, 2004. It is against all this background that the International Tsunami Expert Professor Tad S Murty chose to warn the Prime Minister's Office on 30 January, 2005 about the possible negative and dangerous impact of SSCP during the times of future tsunamis. The PMO instead of referring the matter to the NEERI who were the official consultants of the Government of India, chose to refer the matter directly to the Office of the Chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust. He gave his final reply to the 14 vital points raised by the PMO on 8 March 2005 only on 30 June 2005. Then in a kind of sudden swoop operation the de jure Prime Minister and the de facto Prime Minister of Italian vintage air dashed to Madurai on 2 July 2005, to lay a solid foundation for the destruction of coastal life in Southern Tamilnadu.
The NEERI had undertaken their EIA of SSCP long before Tsunami hit parts of Tamilnadu and Kerala in December 2004. A preliminary tsunami impact assessment report prepared by the Zoological Survey of India for the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in early 2005 clearly concluded that the tsunami that hit the Tamilnadu and Andaman and Nicobar coasts in 2004 had irrevocably altered the marine ecology of the Bay of Bengal region. No public authority connected with SSCP has taken note of this report.
When the SSCP was about to be launched in July 2005, Dr C P Rajendran of the Centre for Earth Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, a Paleo-Seismologist and one of India's top geologists gave a timely warning to the effect that the SSCP should be put on hold. Giving detailed technical reasons, he concluded: 'Sethusamudram, as the name suggests, is the part of an ocean that is being constantly bridged by natural sedimentation processes, and the nature has been at this work for hundreds of thousands of years. By implementing this project, we are disturbing these processes. The project lacks technical, scientific and economic credibility, and is another disaster in the making. All the objections raised by me will remain valid until these issues are resolved by an independent group of experts'.
Legal and planning issues
(Extracts from an article by V Sundaram, Retd IAS Officer)
In 2002, Tuticorin Port Trust appointed NEERI as consultants for carrying out Rapid & Comprehensive Environment Impact Assessment Studies along with assessing Techno-economic viability of the project. The objective of the study was to obtain Environmental Approvals from the concerned local, state, and central government authorities. The terms of Reference issued by TPT to NEERI comprised of two sections viz. Techno-economic viability & other related to Environment Impact Assessment.
In the latter half of 2002, NEERI presented a report on the status of the marine environment which was established by drawing on the data collected during the IEE in 1998. The data presented for the Marine Environment covered the Physico-chemical and biological status. The assessment covered the marine water and sediment. The analysis given for the various marine environmental components was laudable and confirmed the biodiversity richness of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.
NEERI completed its work long before South India was struck by tsunami in December 2004. All the Geologists, Earth Scientists, Oceanographers, Marine Biologists and other Ocean Scientists are categorically of the view that the marine environment in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar was radically altered and transformed after the tsunami. The evaluation report prepared by NEERI in the light of field data collected or observed before the tsunami in December 2004, cannot form the correct basis for according final sanction for the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP).
What is interesting to note is that sixteen (16) detailed queries were raised by PMO (Prime Minister's Office) on 8 March 2005 on various aspects relating to the environment impact, viability, dredging and other repercussions following tsunami in December 2004. These queries were sent to the Office of the Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust on March 8 2005. The Tuticorin Port Trust, perhaps sent its detailed reply to the PMOs Office only on 30 June, 2005 (this is the date on which the information was posted on the government website by Tuticorin Port Trust.)
The People of India in general and the people living in the costal areas of Southern Tamilnadu and more particularly the fishermen, have a fundamental right to raise the following public issues before the Government of India:
1) Why did the PMOs Office refer the matter only to the Office of the Chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust and not to Government of India agencies like NEERI and several others for further detailed study, analysis and report? Was not the PMOs Office aware of the unprecedented damage caused by the tsunami disaster in South India in December 2004? It is strange that Tuticorin Port Trust was asked to respond to PMO's queries. The correct agency should have been NEERI under the agreement entered into between Govt. of India and NEERI.
2) Did the Office of the Chairman of the Tutcorin Port Trust refer the matter to the NEERI for its detailed analysis and comments in the light of the new environment and field situation created by the tsunami in December 2004? There is no indication if NEERI was asked to review its 2004 environmental impact analysis taking note of the post- tsunami field situation in December 2004.
3) The Office of the Chairman Of the Tuticorin Port Trust sent their final reply to the PMOs Office only on 30 June 2005. The timing of the response by Tuticorin Port Trust is significant. After two days, the SSCP (Sethusamudram Canal Project) was inaugurated by the de jure Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the de facto Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi who air dashed to Madurai for the inauguration on July 2 2005.The people of India have smelt a rat in this sequence of stage managed events to cover up many shady facts relating to the SSCP.
The haste with which Tuticorn Port Trust was asked to respond to PMO's queries raises serious questions on the violation of the due process instituted by the Government in conducting an unbiased and objective evolution by a competent agency. The competence of Tuticorin Port Trust in answering all the 14 queries raised by PMO is unclear. This violation of due process raises serious questions on the viability of the entire project.
The answers of the Tuticorin Port Trust which formed the basis for inaugurating the project on 2 July, 2005 were apparently prepared by a private company, Dr P Chandramohan of Indomer Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd., Chennai. The possible conflict of interests in engaging a potential contractor/consultant in making such an evaluation is a matter of serious public concern impacting on the impartiality and objectivity of the answers provided on the serious issues raised by the PMO in March 2005.
Historical Timeline
Treta Yuga (Hindu timelini)
Lord Rama constructs a bridge between India and Sri Lanka
1900s (exact year?)
British rename the Ramasethu bridge as 'Adam's Bridge'
1860 - 1922
As many as nine proposals were made for cutting a Ship Channel across the narrow strip of land to connect the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay with the object of providing a short-cut for ocean-going ships plying between the West Coast of India and the East Coast
1956
Sethusamudram Project Committee formed to contemplate a 26 feet canal dig at the mainland at Rameshwaram at a cost of Rs 210 million
1967
Nagendra Singh Committee Report recommends a 30 feet canal at an alternate site near the Rameshwaram Island Crossing at a cost of Rs 370 million
1981
Laksminarayana Committee Report recommends construction of two channels called the south and north channels and also construction of a lock in the land portion connecting both the channels across the 'K' alignment near Dhanushkodi at a cost of Rs 2820 million
1996
Pallavan Transport Consultance Service Report recommends a number of infrastrucral facilities to be constructed in addition to the canal. These included locks, flotilla, harbour tugs, navigational aids, jetties, shore facilities, dispatch vessels, slipways and buildings
1997
Ministry of Surface Transport appoints Tuticorin Port Trust as Nodal Agency
1997
Ministry of Surface Transport appoints the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to draft an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report. The study recommended a canal cutting the Pamban Island, east of Kothandaramasamy temple, which it claimed will cause least damage to the biota and the environment
2004
Tuticorin Port Trust engages M/s. L & T-Ramboll Consulting Engineers, Chennai for preparation of a Detailed Project Report. The report claimed to establish the financial viability of the Project.
2005
Formal inauguration of the Sethusamudram project
2006
Commencement of dredging work at Ramasethu and Palk Strait
2006
Hindu leaders in India meet President of India to lodge protest against destruction of Ramasethu
February 2007
Shankaracharya of Puri and other Hindu leaders meet in the holy town of Vrindavana to launch a national campaign
March 2007
Hindu organizations from ten countries around the world launch the 'Save Ramasethu Campaign' (Ramasethu Bachao Andolan)
Sethusamudram Project Timeline
No.
Milestones
Target Date
1
Registration of Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd.
*06.12.2004
2
Submission of DPR to the Ministry
*01.03.2005
3
Appraisal by F.I. arranger
31/05/2005
4
Financial closure
30/06/2005
5
Launching of Sethusamudram Corporation Limited Web Site
30/06/2005
6
Inauguration of Sethusamudram Project
02/07/2005
7
Approval of the competent authority
0 week
8
Pre-qualification and tender process (for dredging)
12 weeks
9
Award of work
16 weeks
10
Mobilisation of Dredging equipment and pre-dredge survey
24 weeks
11
Commencement of dredging at Adams bridge area and Palk strait area
24 weeks
12
Preparation of designs, drawings and tender documents for onshore facilities
26 weeks
13
Preparation of tender documents for procurement of Navigational aids, Port crafts
38 weeks
14
Call of tenders, pre-qualification process for procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts & on shore facilities
50 weeks
15
Award of work for on shore facilities
56 weeks
16
Placing of supply orders for procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts
62 weeks
17
Completion of procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts
148 weeks
18
Completion of Service Jetties and Navigational towers
160 weeks
19
Completion of dredging work
166 weeks
20
Post dredging survey
168 weeks
21
Installation of VTMS
168 weeks
22
Commencement of Trials/ Tests
172 weeks
23
Commencement of Channel Operation
180 weeks
Hindus believe that the stretch of limestone shoals between Dhanushkodi near Rameshwaram in Southern India and Mannar in Northwest Sri Lanka are the remains of an ancient bridge built by Lord Rama, as described in the holy epic, Ramayana.
Recent NASA satellite images show clear pictures of a broken bridge under the ocean floor. The heritage of the bridge and the story of Lord Rama are extremely sacred to Hindus.
The ocean floor between India and Sri Lanka near the Mannar coast is very shallow and is not navigable. It does not allow ships to pass. This means that. India does not have a continuous navigational channel linking the east and west coasts. Ships coming from India's west and heading to Bangladesh or Indian ports on the east coast have to go around Sri Lanka because the waterway in the sea dividing the two countries is shallow.
Therefore, the Government of India has proposed the dredging of the sea to create a shipping canal to save up to 780 km of sailing distance and 30 hours of sailing time for ships plying between the east and west coasts of India.
Indian officials say the canal, which is called the Sethusamudram project, will also boost the national economy besides speeding up the movement of Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels as well.
Hindu groups say this may be true but such economic progress cannot be at the expense of Ram Sethu, as they refer to Adam's Bridge, located at the southern end of the Sethusamudram project.
This is where an estimated 48 million cubic metres of silt will be removed over the next two years.
The construction of the canal immediately led to wide protests in India by Hindu leaders. Several holy men have gathered together to launch a campaign of protest.
In March 2007, over ten Hindu umbrella organizations from around the world joined together to launch the Save Ram Sethu Campaign (Ram Sethu Bachao Andolan) to increase the profile of the issue amongst the international communities.
The campaign hopes to convince the Government of India to reconsider the construction of the canal as it will hurt religious sentiments of millions of Hindus and also pose a great risk to the environment of the region and the livelihood of local fishermen.
Environmental implications of the Sethusamudram project Effect on marine life
Though there has been a demand from various quarters for the implementation of the project, there is also opposition to it from environmentalists. They point out that the dredging of the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar could affect the ecology of the zone by changing currents, which could:
· cause changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity and flow of nutrients
· cause oil spills from ship and other marine pollution to reach the coastal areas and specifically the sensitive ecosystems of the Gulf of Mannar
· lead to higher tides and to more energetic waves, and hence to coastal erosion.
· affect the local sea temperature and thereby alter the pattern of sea-breezes and hence affect rainfall patterns.
They also point out that dredging the canal could stir up the dust and toxins that lie beneath the sea bed, affecting marine life. The emptying of bilge water from ships traveling through the hitherto impassable areas could disperse invasive species through the ecosystems of the area.
These effects could endanger precious marine species and wealth. The Gulf of Mannar has 3,600 species of plants and animals and is India's biologically richest coastal region. Mammal species which abound in the area are sperm whales, dolphins and dugongs. The Gulf of Mannar is especially known for its corals: the portion in Indian territorial waters has 117 species of corals, belonging to 37 genera. Associated with these ecosystems are many varieties of fish and crustaceans. Marine life on the Sri Lankan side, which is better protected, is even richer. The Bar Reef off the Kalpitiya peninsular alone has 156 species of coral and 283 of fish; there are two other coral reef systems around Mannar and Jaffna. There are extensive banks of oysters, as well as Indian Chank and Sea Cucumbers, especially in the seas adjacent to Mannar. The pearl fisheries south of Mannar, which inspired Georges Bizet's opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles, have not been productive for many years, indicating the fragility of these ecosystems in the face of overfishing and of relatively minor changes in the habitat.
The Indian government has conducted various environmental studies which ignore some of the above issues by claiming that such issues have already been addressed. Nevertheless, the fundamental environmentalist objections based on facts remain:
· the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Indian government was done by a body inexperienced in projects of this nature, was insufficiently detailed and did not consult with all the stakeholders, which included the government and people on the southern side of the proposed project,
· no proper survey has been carried out of the sea bed to be dredged, and
· no proper scientific modelling of the effects of the project has been carried out.
After environmental objections were made in Sri Lanka, the Indian government belatedly decided to carry out modelling, but this had not been done before clearance was given for the project. A modelling exercise carried out by Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) indicated that the project would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. [1] There have also been judicial observations against this project
[2]. Fishing and livelihood
On July 2, 2005, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project amidst protests from fishermen and environmentalists. Nearly 600 were arrested. The fishermen protested because they feared that the dredging would deepen the sea waters and prevent them from venturing into deep sea (which is currently shallow), where their livelihoods lie.
Legendary
Some claim that this land bridge is the site of the famous Rama's Bridge, making it a historical, religious and cultural monument of great significance. For this reason, many, including chief ministers of states[3], oppose the project.
Several claims and estimates have been made regarding the age of Rama's bridge and its relation to the Indian epic Ramayana.
a)Rama's bridge is 3,500 years old: CRS {Source: Indian Express}: "Ramasamy explains that the land/beaches were formed between Ramanathapuram and Pamban because of the long shore drifting currents which moved in an anti-clockwise direction in the north and clockwise direction in the south of Rameswaram and Talaimannar about 3,500 years ago. ... But as the carbon dating of the beaches roughly matches the dates of Ramayana, its link to the epic needs to be explored, he adds.
"[4] b) NASA Images Find 1,750,000 Year Old Man-Made Bridge {Source: [HindustanTimes-http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_81164,0003.htm (DeadLink)], Reported by PTI}: "The bridge's unique curvature and composition by age reveals that it is man made. The legends as well as Archeological studies reveal that the first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date back to the a primitive age, about 1,750,000 years ago and the bridge's age is also almost equivalent.
Inconsistencies in the NEERI Environmental Impact Assessment
(Extracts from article by V Sundaram)
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal in its present form is scientifically inconsistent and technically indefensible for the following reasons:
1) According to Dr Ramesh, NEERI Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the study that gives the SSCP, its scientific legitimacy, has ignored the studies available on the sedimentation pattern of Palk Bay completely and has not fixed the exact locations wherein the dredged material would be dumped - these studies are crucial for the economic and technical survival of project, as they will give us an idea of how much sediment should be dredged each season and also prepare us for a study that will tell us where the dumped sediments will move every season.
2) Subsurface geology has been studied only for the 20 kilo meter stretch of the canal in the Adam's Bridge area. Nothing is known about the subsurface geology of the Palk Strait region. Considering the fact that the canal's length will be 54.2 km; if the sub surface turns out to be rocky, the cost of the project will go up many folds, and the effect of blasting these rocks would cause serious damages to the Palk Bay environment. This was clearly stated in the Technical Feasibility Report prepared by NEERI only to be politically ignored at the time of political sanction of SSCP.
3) The historical cyclone data for this region from the years 1860 to 2000 clearly indicate that cyclones cross this region and its neighborhood once in every four years. Historically we have enough data to show that all these cyclones have caused severe erosion of the coastal stretch in the nearby areas from time to time by dumping the eroded material in Palk Bay and Adam's Bridge area. NEERI's EIA has not taken note of this natural phenomenon at all.
4) Indomer's 'Hydrodynamic Modeling Study for SSCP' has also ignored the issue of the impact of cyclones on the canal completely. Thus, we do not know, what will happen to the canal in scientific terms during the period of cyclones.
5) Tsunami computer simulation models by Professor Steven N Ward of University of California, Professor Aditya Riyadi of Pusat Penelitian Kelautan Insitut Teknologi, Bandung, Indonesia, WI-Delft Hydraulics, Netherlands and DHI Software, USA and Indomer-Alkyon have described graphically the way tsunami waves attacked Palk Bay on 26 December, 2004. It is against all this background that the International Tsunami Expert Professor Tad S Murty chose to warn the Prime Minister's Office on 30 January, 2005 about the possible negative and dangerous impact of SSCP during the times of future tsunamis. The PMO instead of referring the matter to the NEERI who were the official consultants of the Government of India, chose to refer the matter directly to the Office of the Chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust. He gave his final reply to the 14 vital points raised by the PMO on 8 March 2005 only on 30 June 2005. Then in a kind of sudden swoop operation the de jure Prime Minister and the de facto Prime Minister of Italian vintage air dashed to Madurai on 2 July 2005, to lay a solid foundation for the destruction of coastal life in Southern Tamilnadu.
The NEERI had undertaken their EIA of SSCP long before Tsunami hit parts of Tamilnadu and Kerala in December 2004. A preliminary tsunami impact assessment report prepared by the Zoological Survey of India for the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in early 2005 clearly concluded that the tsunami that hit the Tamilnadu and Andaman and Nicobar coasts in 2004 had irrevocably altered the marine ecology of the Bay of Bengal region. No public authority connected with SSCP has taken note of this report.
When the SSCP was about to be launched in July 2005, Dr C P Rajendran of the Centre for Earth Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, a Paleo-Seismologist and one of India's top geologists gave a timely warning to the effect that the SSCP should be put on hold. Giving detailed technical reasons, he concluded: 'Sethusamudram, as the name suggests, is the part of an ocean that is being constantly bridged by natural sedimentation processes, and the nature has been at this work for hundreds of thousands of years. By implementing this project, we are disturbing these processes. The project lacks technical, scientific and economic credibility, and is another disaster in the making. All the objections raised by me will remain valid until these issues are resolved by an independent group of experts'.
Legal and planning issues
(Extracts from an article by V Sundaram, Retd IAS Officer)
In 2002, Tuticorin Port Trust appointed NEERI as consultants for carrying out Rapid & Comprehensive Environment Impact Assessment Studies along with assessing Techno-economic viability of the project. The objective of the study was to obtain Environmental Approvals from the concerned local, state, and central government authorities. The terms of Reference issued by TPT to NEERI comprised of two sections viz. Techno-economic viability & other related to Environment Impact Assessment.
In the latter half of 2002, NEERI presented a report on the status of the marine environment which was established by drawing on the data collected during the IEE in 1998. The data presented for the Marine Environment covered the Physico-chemical and biological status. The assessment covered the marine water and sediment. The analysis given for the various marine environmental components was laudable and confirmed the biodiversity richness of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.
NEERI completed its work long before South India was struck by tsunami in December 2004. All the Geologists, Earth Scientists, Oceanographers, Marine Biologists and other Ocean Scientists are categorically of the view that the marine environment in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar was radically altered and transformed after the tsunami. The evaluation report prepared by NEERI in the light of field data collected or observed before the tsunami in December 2004, cannot form the correct basis for according final sanction for the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP).
What is interesting to note is that sixteen (16) detailed queries were raised by PMO (Prime Minister's Office) on 8 March 2005 on various aspects relating to the environment impact, viability, dredging and other repercussions following tsunami in December 2004. These queries were sent to the Office of the Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust on March 8 2005. The Tuticorin Port Trust, perhaps sent its detailed reply to the PMOs Office only on 30 June, 2005 (this is the date on which the information was posted on the government website by Tuticorin Port Trust.)
The People of India in general and the people living in the costal areas of Southern Tamilnadu and more particularly the fishermen, have a fundamental right to raise the following public issues before the Government of India:
1) Why did the PMOs Office refer the matter only to the Office of the Chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust and not to Government of India agencies like NEERI and several others for further detailed study, analysis and report? Was not the PMOs Office aware of the unprecedented damage caused by the tsunami disaster in South India in December 2004? It is strange that Tuticorin Port Trust was asked to respond to PMO's queries. The correct agency should have been NEERI under the agreement entered into between Govt. of India and NEERI.
2) Did the Office of the Chairman of the Tutcorin Port Trust refer the matter to the NEERI for its detailed analysis and comments in the light of the new environment and field situation created by the tsunami in December 2004? There is no indication if NEERI was asked to review its 2004 environmental impact analysis taking note of the post- tsunami field situation in December 2004.
3) The Office of the Chairman Of the Tuticorin Port Trust sent their final reply to the PMOs Office only on 30 June 2005. The timing of the response by Tuticorin Port Trust is significant. After two days, the SSCP (Sethusamudram Canal Project) was inaugurated by the de jure Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the de facto Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi who air dashed to Madurai for the inauguration on July 2 2005.The people of India have smelt a rat in this sequence of stage managed events to cover up many shady facts relating to the SSCP.
The haste with which Tuticorn Port Trust was asked to respond to PMO's queries raises serious questions on the violation of the due process instituted by the Government in conducting an unbiased and objective evolution by a competent agency. The competence of Tuticorin Port Trust in answering all the 14 queries raised by PMO is unclear. This violation of due process raises serious questions on the viability of the entire project.
The answers of the Tuticorin Port Trust which formed the basis for inaugurating the project on 2 July, 2005 were apparently prepared by a private company, Dr P Chandramohan of Indomer Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd., Chennai. The possible conflict of interests in engaging a potential contractor/consultant in making such an evaluation is a matter of serious public concern impacting on the impartiality and objectivity of the answers provided on the serious issues raised by the PMO in March 2005.
Historical Timeline
Treta Yuga (Hindu timelini)
Lord Rama constructs a bridge between India and Sri Lanka
1900s (exact year?)
British rename the Ramasethu bridge as 'Adam's Bridge'
1860 - 1922
As many as nine proposals were made for cutting a Ship Channel across the narrow strip of land to connect the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay with the object of providing a short-cut for ocean-going ships plying between the West Coast of India and the East Coast
1956
Sethusamudram Project Committee formed to contemplate a 26 feet canal dig at the mainland at Rameshwaram at a cost of Rs 210 million
1967
Nagendra Singh Committee Report recommends a 30 feet canal at an alternate site near the Rameshwaram Island Crossing at a cost of Rs 370 million
1981
Laksminarayana Committee Report recommends construction of two channels called the south and north channels and also construction of a lock in the land portion connecting both the channels across the 'K' alignment near Dhanushkodi at a cost of Rs 2820 million
1996
Pallavan Transport Consultance Service Report recommends a number of infrastrucral facilities to be constructed in addition to the canal. These included locks, flotilla, harbour tugs, navigational aids, jetties, shore facilities, dispatch vessels, slipways and buildings
1997
Ministry of Surface Transport appoints Tuticorin Port Trust as Nodal Agency
1997
Ministry of Surface Transport appoints the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to draft an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report. The study recommended a canal cutting the Pamban Island, east of Kothandaramasamy temple, which it claimed will cause least damage to the biota and the environment
2004
Tuticorin Port Trust engages M/s. L & T-Ramboll Consulting Engineers, Chennai for preparation of a Detailed Project Report. The report claimed to establish the financial viability of the Project.
2005
Formal inauguration of the Sethusamudram project
2006
Commencement of dredging work at Ramasethu and Palk Strait
2006
Hindu leaders in India meet President of India to lodge protest against destruction of Ramasethu
February 2007
Shankaracharya of Puri and other Hindu leaders meet in the holy town of Vrindavana to launch a national campaign
March 2007
Hindu organizations from ten countries around the world launch the 'Save Ramasethu Campaign' (Ramasethu Bachao Andolan)
Sethusamudram Project Timeline
No.
Milestones
Target Date
1
Registration of Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd.
*06.12.2004
2
Submission of DPR to the Ministry
*01.03.2005
3
Appraisal by F.I. arranger
31/05/2005
4
Financial closure
30/06/2005
5
Launching of Sethusamudram Corporation Limited Web Site
30/06/2005
6
Inauguration of Sethusamudram Project
02/07/2005
7
Approval of the competent authority
0 week
8
Pre-qualification and tender process (for dredging)
12 weeks
9
Award of work
16 weeks
10
Mobilisation of Dredging equipment and pre-dredge survey
24 weeks
11
Commencement of dredging at Adams bridge area and Palk strait area
24 weeks
12
Preparation of designs, drawings and tender documents for onshore facilities
26 weeks
13
Preparation of tender documents for procurement of Navigational aids, Port crafts
38 weeks
14
Call of tenders, pre-qualification process for procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts & on shore facilities
50 weeks
15
Award of work for on shore facilities
56 weeks
16
Placing of supply orders for procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts
62 weeks
17
Completion of procurement of Navigational aids and Port crafts
148 weeks
18
Completion of Service Jetties and Navigational towers
160 weeks
19
Completion of dredging work
166 weeks
20
Post dredging survey
168 weeks
21
Installation of VTMS
168 weeks
22
Commencement of Trials/ Tests
172 weeks
23
Commencement of Channel Operation
180 weeks
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Sethusamudram Project
The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the island chain of Rama's Bridge, also known as Adam's Bridge. This would provide a continuous navigable sea route 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.
History
Possibly conceived in 1860 by Commander A. D. Taylor of the Indian Marines, the project has been reviewed many times over the years but no decision was ever made. It was part of the election manifestos of all political parties during elections. The Union Government of India appointed the Sethu Samudram Project Committee in 1955, headed by Dr. A. Ramasamy Mudaliar, which was charged with the duty of examining the desirability of the project. After evaluating the costs and benefits, this committee found the project feasible and viable. Several reviews of the proposals followed. Finally, the United Progressive Alliance Government of India headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the inauguration of the project on June 2, 2005.
Benefits
The strategic advantages to India derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 350 nautical miles (650 km) (for larger ships). The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu. The project will be of particular significance to Tuticorin harbour, which has the potential to transform itself into a nodal port. The State Government has announced its proposal to develop 13 minor ports, including Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Valinokam, Kolachel and Kanyakumari.
Development of the canal and ports is also expected to provide increased maritime security for Tamil Nadu.
Issues to be resolved
Economic
Many naval hydrographers and experts suggest that the project is unlikely to be financially viable or serve ships in any significant way. The savings for ships that originate from Kanyakumari or Tuticorin is between 10 and 30 hours. For ships from other destinations like the Middle East, Africa, Mauritius and Europe,the average savings by using this canal is just 8 hours.
At the present tariff rates, ships from Africa and Europe will lose $ 4,992 on every voyage, as the savings in time for these ships are considerably lower that what is calculated in the DPR. This loss is significant as 65% of the projected users of the canal are those from Africa and Europe. If tariffs are lowered to a point where ships from Africa and Europe will not lose any money from using the canal, the IRR of the project falls to 2.6%! This is a level at which even public infrastructure projects are rejected by the government.
Environmental
Marine life:
Though there has been a demand from various quarters for the implementation of the project, there is also opposition to it from environmentalists. They point out that the dredging of the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar could affect the ecology of the zone by changing currents, which could:
cause changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity and flow of nutrients
cause oilspills from ship and other marine pollution to reach the coastal areas and specifically the sensitive ecosystems of the Gulf of Mannar
lead to higher tides and to more energetic waves, and hence to coastal erosion.
affect the local sea temperature and thereby alter the pattern of sea-breezes and hence affect rainfall patterns.
They also point out that dredging the canal could stir up the dust and toxins that lie beneath the sea bed, affecting marine life. The emptying of bilge water from ships travelling through the hitherto impassable areas could diperse invasive species through the ecosystems of the area.
These effects could endanger precious marine species and wealth. The Gulf of Mannar has 3,600 species of plants and animals and is India's biologically richest coastal region. Mammal species which abound in the area are sperm whales, dolphins and dugongs. The Gulf of Mannar is especially known for its corals: the portion in Indian territorial waters has 117 species of corals, belonging to 37 genera. Associated with these ecosystems are many varieties of fish and crustaceans. Marine life on the Sri Lankan side, which is better protected, is even richer. The Bar Reef off the Kalpitiya peninsular alone has 156 species of coral and 283 of fish; there are two other coral reef systems around Mannar and Jaffna. There are extensive banks of oysters, as well as Indian Chank and Sea Cucumbers, especially in the seas adjacent to Mannar. The pearl fisheries south of Mannar, which inspired Georges Bizet's opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles, have not been productive for many years, indicating the fragility of these ecosystems in the face of overfishing and of relatively minor changes in the habitat.
However official environmental clearance has been given for the project. The contention that the Sethusamudram Canal will cut through coral reefs and disturb the ecology has been dismissed as a mistaken fear.
The Indian government has conducted various environmental studies which has concluded that such issues are overblown and not based on science. Nevertheless, the fundamental environmentalist objections remain, that
the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Indian government was done by a body inexperienced in projects of this nature, was insufficiently detailed and did not consult with all the stakeholders, which included the government and people on the southern side of the proposed project,
no proper survey has been carried out of the sea bed to be dredged, and
no proper scientific modelling of the effects of the project has been carried out.
After environmental objections were made in Sri Lanka, the Indian government belatedly decided to carry out modelling, but this had not been done before clearance was given for the project. A modelling exercise carried out by Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) indicated that the project would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. There have also been judicial observations against this project.
Fishing
On July 2, 2005, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project amidst protests from fishermen and environmentalists. Nearly 600 were arrested.
Political and economic
There have been concerns that the dredging would increase the water flow, thus eroding and even submerging the western Jaffna coastline. However as the project is nearly 50 km from the coastline of Sri Lanka few geologists believe it will have any serious harm. Moreover some have chipped in saying that the economic benefits will be mutual for Sri Lanka as much as it is for India by reviving minor ports in Sri Lanka.
The underdeveloped region of Northern Srilanka is currently occupied by LTTE. Sethusamudram project could potentially allow economic benefits to this region. This is being viewed with mutual suspsicon of both Sri Lankan and Tamil leaders. Further it is expected that in addition to Colombo, new ports to be developed near Jaffna.
There has also been criticism expressed, on the basis that the project could damage relations with Sri Lanka.
Religious
Some claim that this land bridge is the site of the famous Rama's Bridge, making it a historical, religious and cultural monument of great significance. For this reason, many, including chief ministers of states[3], oppose the project.
Several claims and estimates have been made regarding the age of Rama's bridge and its relation to the Indian epic Ramayana.
Rama’s bridge is only 3,500 years old: CRS {Source: Indian Express}: "Ramasamy explains that the land/beaches were formed between Ramanathapuram and Pamban because of the long shore drifting currents which moved in an anti-clockwise direction in the north and clockwise direction in the south of Rameswaram and Talaimannar about 3,500 years ago. ... But as the carbon dating of the beaches roughly matches the dates of Ramayana, its link to the epic needs to be explored, he adds."
Rama Setu is NOT a natural formation: Dr. Badrinarayanan, former director of Geological Survey of India and a member of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) says the Adam's Bridge was not a natural formation."Such a natural formation is impossible. Unless somebody has transported them and dumped them there, those reefs could not have come there. Some boulders were so light that they could float on water."
The Geological Survey of India conducted a detailed survey of the area and concluded that the structure was a natural one. A premier institute had made 91 boreholes in and around the site to ascertain the truth and the soil samples kept at the Sethu Project Office could be verified."
Rama Setu IS a natural formation: American space agency NASA has said that the structure of sand bars and rocks situated in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, known as Ram Sethu or Adam's Bridge in maps, is a natural phenomenon and not a man-made structure. This was announced on Saturday by N K Raghupathy, CEO, Sethusamudram Corp Ltd, at a press conference when he revealed the contents of an email received in this regard from NASA's Johnson Space Centre. A few days back, the company sent an email to NASA to know whether Ram Sethu was a made-made structure. "
Setbacks
The spud of the "Cutter-Sucker-Dredger Aquarius" broke while cutting the bridge, dealing a blow to the dredging work. [8] In yet another set back to the dredging work of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, a giant crane sent to retrieve the broken spud also broke and a part of it sunk in the sea. Officials were now thinking of bringing a bigger crane - Hanuman - having 200 tonne capacity from Vishakapatnam to retrieve both the sunken crane and the spud.
On July 25, 2007, Uma Bharti began a week-days fast protesting over the project saying that the mythological bridge be saved.
History
Possibly conceived in 1860 by Commander A. D. Taylor of the Indian Marines, the project has been reviewed many times over the years but no decision was ever made. It was part of the election manifestos of all political parties during elections. The Union Government of India appointed the Sethu Samudram Project Committee in 1955, headed by Dr. A. Ramasamy Mudaliar, which was charged with the duty of examining the desirability of the project. After evaluating the costs and benefits, this committee found the project feasible and viable. Several reviews of the proposals followed. Finally, the United Progressive Alliance Government of India headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the inauguration of the project on June 2, 2005.
Benefits
The strategic advantages to India derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 350 nautical miles (650 km) (for larger ships). The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu. The project will be of particular significance to Tuticorin harbour, which has the potential to transform itself into a nodal port. The State Government has announced its proposal to develop 13 minor ports, including Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Valinokam, Kolachel and Kanyakumari.
Development of the canal and ports is also expected to provide increased maritime security for Tamil Nadu.
Issues to be resolved
Economic
Many naval hydrographers and experts suggest that the project is unlikely to be financially viable or serve ships in any significant way. The savings for ships that originate from Kanyakumari or Tuticorin is between 10 and 30 hours. For ships from other destinations like the Middle East, Africa, Mauritius and Europe,the average savings by using this canal is just 8 hours.
At the present tariff rates, ships from Africa and Europe will lose $ 4,992 on every voyage, as the savings in time for these ships are considerably lower that what is calculated in the DPR. This loss is significant as 65% of the projected users of the canal are those from Africa and Europe. If tariffs are lowered to a point where ships from Africa and Europe will not lose any money from using the canal, the IRR of the project falls to 2.6%! This is a level at which even public infrastructure projects are rejected by the government.
Environmental
Marine life:
Though there has been a demand from various quarters for the implementation of the project, there is also opposition to it from environmentalists. They point out that the dredging of the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar could affect the ecology of the zone by changing currents, which could:
cause changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity and flow of nutrients
cause oilspills from ship and other marine pollution to reach the coastal areas and specifically the sensitive ecosystems of the Gulf of Mannar
lead to higher tides and to more energetic waves, and hence to coastal erosion.
affect the local sea temperature and thereby alter the pattern of sea-breezes and hence affect rainfall patterns.
They also point out that dredging the canal could stir up the dust and toxins that lie beneath the sea bed, affecting marine life. The emptying of bilge water from ships travelling through the hitherto impassable areas could diperse invasive species through the ecosystems of the area.
These effects could endanger precious marine species and wealth. The Gulf of Mannar has 3,600 species of plants and animals and is India's biologically richest coastal region. Mammal species which abound in the area are sperm whales, dolphins and dugongs. The Gulf of Mannar is especially known for its corals: the portion in Indian territorial waters has 117 species of corals, belonging to 37 genera. Associated with these ecosystems are many varieties of fish and crustaceans. Marine life on the Sri Lankan side, which is better protected, is even richer. The Bar Reef off the Kalpitiya peninsular alone has 156 species of coral and 283 of fish; there are two other coral reef systems around Mannar and Jaffna. There are extensive banks of oysters, as well as Indian Chank and Sea Cucumbers, especially in the seas adjacent to Mannar. The pearl fisheries south of Mannar, which inspired Georges Bizet's opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles, have not been productive for many years, indicating the fragility of these ecosystems in the face of overfishing and of relatively minor changes in the habitat.
However official environmental clearance has been given for the project. The contention that the Sethusamudram Canal will cut through coral reefs and disturb the ecology has been dismissed as a mistaken fear.
The Indian government has conducted various environmental studies which has concluded that such issues are overblown and not based on science. Nevertheless, the fundamental environmentalist objections remain, that
the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the Indian government was done by a body inexperienced in projects of this nature, was insufficiently detailed and did not consult with all the stakeholders, which included the government and people on the southern side of the proposed project,
no proper survey has been carried out of the sea bed to be dredged, and
no proper scientific modelling of the effects of the project has been carried out.
After environmental objections were made in Sri Lanka, the Indian government belatedly decided to carry out modelling, but this had not been done before clearance was given for the project. A modelling exercise carried out by Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) indicated that the project would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. There have also been judicial observations against this project.
Fishing
On July 2, 2005, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project amidst protests from fishermen and environmentalists. Nearly 600 were arrested.
Political and economic
There have been concerns that the dredging would increase the water flow, thus eroding and even submerging the western Jaffna coastline. However as the project is nearly 50 km from the coastline of Sri Lanka few geologists believe it will have any serious harm. Moreover some have chipped in saying that the economic benefits will be mutual for Sri Lanka as much as it is for India by reviving minor ports in Sri Lanka.
The underdeveloped region of Northern Srilanka is currently occupied by LTTE. Sethusamudram project could potentially allow economic benefits to this region. This is being viewed with mutual suspsicon of both Sri Lankan and Tamil leaders. Further it is expected that in addition to Colombo, new ports to be developed near Jaffna.
There has also been criticism expressed, on the basis that the project could damage relations with Sri Lanka.
Religious
Some claim that this land bridge is the site of the famous Rama's Bridge, making it a historical, religious and cultural monument of great significance. For this reason, many, including chief ministers of states[3], oppose the project.
Several claims and estimates have been made regarding the age of Rama's bridge and its relation to the Indian epic Ramayana.
Rama’s bridge is only 3,500 years old: CRS {Source: Indian Express}: "Ramasamy explains that the land/beaches were formed between Ramanathapuram and Pamban because of the long shore drifting currents which moved in an anti-clockwise direction in the north and clockwise direction in the south of Rameswaram and Talaimannar about 3,500 years ago. ... But as the carbon dating of the beaches roughly matches the dates of Ramayana, its link to the epic needs to be explored, he adds."
Rama Setu is NOT a natural formation: Dr. Badrinarayanan, former director of Geological Survey of India and a member of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) says the Adam's Bridge was not a natural formation."Such a natural formation is impossible. Unless somebody has transported them and dumped them there, those reefs could not have come there. Some boulders were so light that they could float on water."
The Geological Survey of India conducted a detailed survey of the area and concluded that the structure was a natural one. A premier institute had made 91 boreholes in and around the site to ascertain the truth and the soil samples kept at the Sethu Project Office could be verified."
Rama Setu IS a natural formation: American space agency NASA has said that the structure of sand bars and rocks situated in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, known as Ram Sethu or Adam's Bridge in maps, is a natural phenomenon and not a man-made structure. This was announced on Saturday by N K Raghupathy, CEO, Sethusamudram Corp Ltd, at a press conference when he revealed the contents of an email received in this regard from NASA's Johnson Space Centre. A few days back, the company sent an email to NASA to know whether Ram Sethu was a made-made structure. "
Setbacks
The spud of the "Cutter-Sucker-Dredger Aquarius" broke while cutting the bridge, dealing a blow to the dredging work. [8] In yet another set back to the dredging work of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, a giant crane sent to retrieve the broken spud also broke and a part of it sunk in the sea. Officials were now thinking of bringing a bigger crane - Hanuman - having 200 tonne capacity from Vishakapatnam to retrieve both the sunken crane and the spud.
On July 25, 2007, Uma Bharti began a week-days fast protesting over the project saying that the mythological bridge be saved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
