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
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