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Sethu Samudram ship canal project

106K views 341 replies 97 participants last post by  rj_anntny 
#1 ·
The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project conceived more than a century ago is expected to take off

The project was originally conceived in 1860 by the British Commander A.D. Taylor of the Indian Marines. Thereafter, almost once in every decade a committee or a prominent expert made a recommendation in favour of the construction of the canal. In 1955, for the first time since Independence, the Government of India constituted the Sethusamudram Project Committee under Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliyar to examine the feasibility and desirability of connecting the Gulf of Mannar with Palk Bay and its impact on the port of Tuticorin. The committee recommended that the canal project be linked to the Tuticorin Harbour Project and that both projects be undertaken simultaneously. The cost of the joint project was estimated at Rs 9.98 crore. The Sethusamudram Project Committee report was, however, put in cold storage. In 1963, the government sanctioned only the Tuticorin project.

The government's enthusiasm to set up committees did not wane. Successive committees revised the cost of the project upwards. In 1994, the Tamil Nadu government appointed the Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services Ltd in Chennai to appraise and revalidate a 1983 report. The new report, submitted in March 1996, further revised the project cost to Rs 760 crore for 31 feet draft.

Hope on the project was revived in January 1999 when Defence Minister George Fernandes announced that the government would complete the digging of the Sethu Samudram channel in three years. This was backed by the Prime Minister's assurance that his government was committed to the project. Indeed, the government took a concrete step towards the execution of the project when Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, in his Budget 2000-01, allocated Rs 4.8 crore for a feasibility study of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project. Recently, following a directive from the Union Ministry of Shipping, the Tuticorin Port Trust invited tenders for undertaking just such a feasibility-cum-environment study for the project.

The "Sethusamudram Ship Canal" project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar on the east coast of India by creating a shipping canal through Rameswaram Island, which would provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian Peninsula. The total cost of the techno-economic viability and EIA study is expected to be around Rs 6 crore. The project involves digging a 44.9 nautical-mile long channel linking the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar.

After the canal is constructed, the distance between Cape Comorin and Chennai would be reduced to 402 nautical miles from the present 755. Further, the canal would considerably reduce the distance between the east and the west coasts with travelling time coming down by 36 hours. It will also avoid circumnavigation of ships around Sri Lanka, thereby resulting in savings in fuel costs and standing charges associated with extra period of voyages. The canal would help make coastal shipping operations from the east coast to the west coast and vice-versa more competitive.

The greatest beneficiary of the project will be Tuticorin harbour, which has the potential to transform into a transhipment hub such as those in Singapore and Colombo. The project will also help in the development of the proposed 13 minor ports in Tamil Nadu.

On the flipside, the project is likely to face stiff opposition from fishermen and environmentalists, who have already raising their collective voice against it. The protests may not deter the government from going ahead with the project as the gains outweigh the losses.
 
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#140 ·
Read more here : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...project_for_April_29_/articleshow/2952736.cms

The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted for April 29 the hearing on the Centre's plea to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project.

The Centre had on February 29 filed a fresh affidavit in the apex court seeking clearance to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project on the same alignment saying issues of faith cannot be resolved through scientific evidence.

The 60-page affidavit cleared by the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA), which was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had said that the opposition to the project which started two years back was "misconceived" and "unsubstantiated" and the court should "refrain from interdicting"..............
 
#141 ·
Trial run of ship through Setu next week

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...hrough_Setu_next_week/articleshow/2952934.cms :banana::banana:

CHENNAI: A portion of the Sethusamudram ship channel may be ready for navigation, and a trial run of a fully-laden ship is likely to be held next week, the project head said on Monday.

The 54-km stretch in Palk Bay had been dredged, creating a depth in excess of 10 m, as against the planned depth of 12 m. It would be possible for small vessels that require a depth of 10 m to navigate from Chennai to Rameswaram, Chennai Port Trust chairman K Suresh, who also holds charge as chairman and managing director of Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd, said.

The Sethusamudram channel, now mired in litigation and controversy over plans to demolish Adam's Bridge, or Ram Setu, a series of rocky shoals in the sea off Rameswaram, envisages deepening of the sea to help ships travel faster between the country's eastern and western coasts avoiding a circuitous route around Sri Lanka.

It is planned as a 167-km canal, of which the Palk Bay segment consists of 54-km, where dredging operations are at an advanced stage. Dredging in a 35-km stretch in the Adam's Bridge area has been suspended due to a Supreme Court interim order. A stretch of 78 km is deep enough and does not need dredging.

Suresh said Dredging Corporation of India, the dredging agency, sent out a survey vessel from April 4 to ascertain the depth reached so far. An initial survey report showed that the channel, for which a 12 m draft had been expected, had depth varying from 10 m to 11 m, with an average of 10.73 m in the first 18 km stretch. For the remaining 36 km, the depth varied from 10.75 m to 11.3 m.

"This indicates that dredging has been successful and the depth achieved averages 93%. It will now be possible for a vessel with a 10m draft requirement to navigate the coast from Chennai to Rameswaram," Suresh said, on the sidelines of a seminar.

"A trial run in the stretch using a fully-loaded vessel is slated for sometime next week," Suresh said.
Detractors of the project say the draft of 12 m in the 300m wide canal was not enough to carry large vessels.

However, the project proponents argue that the depth was enough to carry significant numbers of commercial vessels now in operation in the region.
 
#142 ·
SC suggests alternative alignment in Sethusamudram Project

Source:http://www.uniindia.com/unilive%5Cunisite.nsf/$All/3E4773C609CD005A652574430044FE18?OpenDocument
TamilVersion:http://www.dailythanthi.com/article.asp?NewsID=411554&disdate=5/9/2008&advt=1

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The Supreme Court today suggested to the Central government to consider an alternative alignment for the completion of Sethusamudram canal to avoid any controversy so that Ram Setu is neither destroyed nor demolished.

Senior counsel F S Nariman appearing for the Central government agreed to convey the suggestion of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan to the government for due consideration.

Earlier in the day, former Union Law Minister and Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy prayed to the three-Judge bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrisnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal to refer the petitions to the five-judge constitution bench for an authoritative pronouncement on the issue.

Dr Swamy also prayed to the court to direct the government to go back to the drawing board to redo the entire exercise all over again fairly, honestly and sincerly and get back to the court.

The Janata Party president also pleaded for issuing notice to Union Shipping and Transport Minister T R Baalu, to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him for making derogatory and contemptous remarks against the sitting judge Justice B N Agrawal for dragging the Tamil Nadu government into the controversy while directing the authorities, on August 31, last year, not to damage Ram Setu, also known as Adam's Bridge, in any manner while carrying out dredging activities for completion of Sethusamudram canal project.

Dr Swamy made it clear before the court that his only concern was the protection of Ram Setu and if the Central government was prepared to give an undertaking that the 25-km long Setu shall not be demolished, he would immediately withdraw his petition .

The former Union Minister also prayed to the court to make Mr Baalu a party in the case as the DMK leader and his family members were the main beneficiaries in about Rs 2400 crore project .

The court while adjourning the hearing till July 22 , told the Central government ''you can explore the possibility of an alternative alignment for the canal. By this the government would like to avoid the controversy.'' Another senior counsel M N Krisnamani also opposed the government's move to use alignment six which involves the demolition of Ram Setu and pleaded for declaration of Ram Setu as a monument of national heritage as it involves the religious faith and belief of Hindus across the globe. According to belief, Ram Setu was constructed by Lord Rama to reach Sri Lanka to retrieve his wife Sita from the cluches of Ravana and any interference with this belief would violate the fundamental right of freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution.
 
#144 ·
Part of Sethu work will be over before April 2009

RAMANATHAPURAM: Dredging work of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP), except in the north of Adam’s Bridge area, will be completed well before April 2009, said K. Suresh, Chairman and Managing Director, Sethusamudram Corporation Limited.

Speaking to The Hindu after presiding over a Board of Directors meeting of the Corporation held at Mandapam, the proposed headquarters, he said the work being undertaken off the Nagapattinam coast was extremely satisfactory. Six dredgers of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) and chartered dredgers were engaged in it.

“April 2009 is the targeted schedule for the completion of work. Going by the speed of the work, I can say that it will be completed well in advance.”

Parrying questions over the Adam’s Bridge site, where the Supreme Court has stayed the dredging work, Mr. Suresh hoped that the outcome would be positive.

He said no dredging work had been taken up in the north of Adam’s Bridge after the Supreme Court stay.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063051990400.htm
 
#146 · (Edited)
Correct news is :

Govt filled reply writ petition on the supreme court for further arguments...It is not like govt taking final 100% decision on the above statements..

When the supreme court giving Judgements, we will come to know what is the fate of Sethu?..

Whether ship will run in the canal and MK sitting on the ship... or people's Billion rupees pumped in salt water..

அந்த மேலை கடல் முழுதும் கப்பல் விடுவோம்!.... எப்ப?.....

MK, ஒரு boat கூட விட முடியாது போல!:)
 
#148 ·
Lord Ram himself destroyed Sethu

In remarks that may deepen the row over the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, the Centre today told the Supreme Court that the issue could not be one of faith because the Padma Purana (one of the 18 major Puranas) and the Kamba Ramayanam (the Tamil epic written by Kamban) both suggest that Lord Ram destroyed what is now called the Ram Sethu (Adam’s Bridge) so that nobody could come from Lanka.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/339723.html
 
#149 ·
It is really sad that Hindus don't have any desire to protect Ram Sethu. If it is really important to build a channel for the large vessels to navigate , why cannot the government choose an alternative route to construct it. Why is DMK and allies hell bent on destroying Hindu sentiments in the name of development ?. Development can be considering keeping the existing heritage and culture.
Why cannot the same government destroy mosques in Hyderabad which are right in the center of the major national highways. It is the double standard practised by Indian government that hurts Hindus.
 
#151 · (Edited)
The cost involved in the alternative routes like KothandaramanKoil route will involve more dredging cost and considerable loss of land in Rameswaram island. Also the current alignment involves removal of lesser coral reefs (Adam's bridge is just sand dunes in the sea and no coral reef) and in case of removing more coral reefs it will directly affect fishing industy (more than 10 lac fishermen families will go jobless without sufficient fish) and also the marine ecology will be affected as blasting might be involved for the purpose.

In a country which has millions of people even without one meal a day, infrastructure projects cannot be spared for some old beliefs. This project is expected to make the southern districts of TN flourish due to increased use of Tuticorin port (proposed Trans shipment harbour and existing port) and the proposed Trans shipment harbour at Colachel. And your argument sounds no different to a Tribal Taliban. And FYI.. India has already demolished a mosque just for the sake somebody's belief hurting millions of muslims... Dont forget it.. I would also like to ask you if any person who visit Rameswaram Temple had visited Danushkodi shore where the so called bridge exists? I have visited Dansuhkodi quite a number of times and have seen nobody "worshiping" the shore there! Just for the sake of Jayalalitha and subramanium Swamy to gain political mileage have raised this issue. Jayalalitha who had this project in her election manifesto now denies that she was in favour of this project. This project was first signed off by Vajpayee, when he was PM. Jayalalitha wants to ensure that Karunanidhi does not get vote in South TN by quoting the "father" of Sethusamudram project (DMK is quite week in southern districts and south is a fortress to AIADMK)

And for those who argue in Nautical sense, where large ships could not use the channel, I would like to say that even in the absence of a channel or in the presence of a bigger channel to accomodate them, these ships cannot be accomodated in any of the ports of Kolkatta or Vizag or Chennai as only Colombo/Singapore/Dubai can handle so big ships and our ports have been acting only as a feeder port to them. With Tuticorin, Colachel and Vizhinjam being built to accomodate them they will replace Colombo's role raising our economy. And the reason for all our Trans shipment harbours being built south of Sethusamudram channel is, to compete with singapore or Colombo our Trans shipment harbours should be very much close to the international shipping route like them.
 
#150 ·
Ram Sethu: Centre to find alternative ‘route’.

A day after raising the pitch by saying the Ram Sethu did not exist as of today, the Centre lowered its ante by telling the Supreme Court that it was not averse to examine the viability of alternatives to the present alignment and this was being considered at the “highest level of the government”.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, who had taken the stand on Wednesday reviving memories about the withdrawn affidavit doubting the existence of the Ramayana, Lord Ram and Ram Sethu, opened his argument on Thursday by stating that the Centre was examining the suggestion of the apex court to explore alternatives.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal had on Wednesday said that till 2005 all 14 proposals, right from the 19th century, had never envisaged dredging of Ram Sethu. Hence, the government should try to balance between ‘faith’ and ‘logic’ by exploring alternatives.

Nariman said: “As a special counsel in the Sethu Samudram Channel Project case, I have taken it up at the highest level. It is being scientifically examined. I will be able to respond to the court about it by Tuesday or Wednesday.”

After giving this response, Nariman went about in a business-like manner to defend the government’s decision to go ahead with the project in 2005.

“The other alignments proposed till date will require extensive dredging in the Gulf of Mannar and that could harm the marine sanctuary and the biosphere. But the present alignment would require dredging only to a depth of 12 metres and a width of 300 metres on the Sethu and not in Gulf of Mannar. The dredging activity would also be far away from the biosphere,” he said.

There were many constraints but after considering all aspects, Alignment No 6 was selected with all possible precautions in place to protect the marine biodiversity as well as endangered animals, he said.

He listed out six environment impact assessments conducted by the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) that for the first time in 2005 brought about consensus in the government on the present alignment. The arguments would continue on Tuesday.
Source: TOI
 
#152 ·
Appreciate the details about this project and the benefits and the reasons for not wanting to change the Alignment. I am talking about the government's duplicity towards Hindus on various issues. . I don't want to go into the discussion of Babri Masjid demolition and controversy involved in it. There are innumerable articles available every where to know about this issue . How is my opinion Tribal Taliban ?. After a great deal of watching the events in the country, by the present government, I made this remark. It is not a fanatic observation. People like you who proclaim intellectuals who have no consideration for the feelings of the majority of Indians are real trouble makers .
 
#153 ·
Well said, skganji. The cultureless DMK crowd whose contributions include the ugly thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari, many more ugly govt buildings in Chennai and pulling down historic buildings like Admiralty Bldg, Salem Collectorate to make way for so called modern buildings just to make money on contracts. The SS canal was a dream of VOC etc more than 150 years back when ships were small, distances were huge and environmental concerns were zilch. This project has no economic value in the 21st century and is being solely implemented to make money. People who think the southern districts will become "developed" by this channel need to stop smoking whatever and read up on the economics (and ecological harm) of the project.
 
#154 ·
:ohno:[

QUOTE=skganji;23115004]It is really sad that Hindus don't have any desire to protect Ram Sethu. If it is really important to build a channel for the large vessels to navigate , why cannot the government choose an alternative route to construct it. Why is DMK and allies hell bent on destroying Hindu sentiments in the name of development ?. Development can be considering keeping the existing heritage and culture.
Why cannot the same government destroy mosques in Hyderabad which are right in the center of the major national highways. It is the double standard practised by Indian government that hurts Hindus.[/QUOTE]

I am an hindhu myself but in no way hurt by the governments decision. Its not like they are demolishing a temple or a shrine to make way for some controversial project. Let the goverment do whatever they have to do. It in no way affects my life. Why are so many indians so sentimental and emotional about matters that hardly concern their life and prosperity? Political parties are unnecessarily politicising these issues and adding to the fire, and some people choose to blindly give in to their tactics.
:eek:hno:
 
#156 ·
I am an hindhu myself but in no way hurt by the governments decision. Its not like they are demolishing a temple or a shrine to make way for some controversial project. Let the goverment do whatever they have to do. It in no way affects my life. Why are so many indians so sentimental and emotional about matters that hardly concern their life and prosperity? Political parties are unnecessarily politicising these issues and adding to the fire, and some people choose to blindly give in to their tactics.
:eek:hno:
Well, I have already said , I am not against development or sethu samudhram project.
What really bothers me, is the government's carelessness towards Hindu sentiments or their feelings. Why do they have to say without even doing basic investigation that Lord Ram is a fictional figure and Ram Sethu is a natural bridge and there is no historical evidence that it was constructed by Lord Ram?. When it comes to Minorities they will go to any extent to appease them ?. The double standards practised by government is evident in lot of matters . You said you you are Hindu, have you noticed what the government is doing to Hindus all across the country. What is the government doing to help the Kashmiri Hindu Pandits languishing in camps scattered across the country ?. What has it done to catch the culprits involved in Varanasi, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur , Ahmedabad blasts ?. What is the government doing to help the Hindu fishermen who were targeted and attacked in Kerala by the Minority Community fundamentalists ?. What is it doing to protect the Vaishnava temples that were destroyed in North East India by the minority Community illegal immigrants ?. All the government is concerned is about their Minority Vote bank and how to stay in the Power. Where is the justice ?. Well it has become a number game for the politicians in India to stay in power. The minorities have become a suitable vote bank for them to stay in power.
 
#157 ·
Thats why i have no faith in indian democracy or its politics. All parties play on the minds of people to stay in power.

Even though im Hindhu, I really dont believe in something like the conventional notion of a God. I believe that God resides and is contained only in the mind. When he steps outside those boundaries he causes a lot of havoc. :lol: My personal beliefs aside, I have nothing more to add to this debate. The more you delve into it, the more you complicate the matter.
 
#161 ·
Baalu says Sethu project will be implemented within a year

Staff Reporter

“Even apex court has not asked to stop the project”

MADURAI: The Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project will be implemented in the next one year, said Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu here on Tuesday.

Stating that some anti-Tamil forces had stalled the project by approaching the Supreme Court, he said: “Even if I am there [as Union Minister] or not, whoever comes [to the post] cannot say no to the project. If it is not this alignment it will be some other [alignment].”

Mr. Baalu said that even the apex court had not asked to stop the project, but had only spoken about the present alignment.

“We will implement it on any one of the alignments proposed by Anna, Kalaingar (the Chief Minister) or Sonia Gandhi. No one can stop it. This is my promise to the people of Southern districts.”

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/11/stories/2009021159770800.htm
 
#163 ·

Sethu project taken up sans tectonic studies, says Subramanian Swamy


Source

CHENNAI: The Sethusamudram shipping canal project was taken up without conducting tectonic studies, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy alleged here on Thursday.

The expert group of the National Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Science and Technology had informed the government and the Dr.R.K.Pachauri Committee, in a report dated March 2009, that the project as designed under the stewardship of T.R.Baalu as Minister of Shipping, was without “any study on the potential impact of tectonic events on the Sethusamudram Canal,” Dr. Swamy claimed.
Table report in Parliament

It had pointed out that “between February 1948 and January 1949, tectonic events had led to the submergence of a part of Danushkodi town.” It had recommended that “an answer to this question is clearly needed to estimate the impact and viability of this project itself,” Dr. Swamy told a press conference. He demanded that the expert group report be tabled in Parliament.

He claimed that the report had stated that “there exists no baseline data to permit a conclusive statement to be made regarding the potential impact of a switch in alignment (so as not to damage the Rama Sethu), as asked for by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India.”

Dr. Swamy said that the expert group had recommended a full-fledged environment impact assessment to assess the possible impact of alignment 4 A [suggested by him] and alignment 6 on the marine biosphere reserve.

This would take another five years.
 
#167 ·
“Sethu project hazardous to environment” :lol:

Source

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Saturday said that her party was against the Sethusamudram Project because it was hazardous to environment and would deprive fishermen of their livelihood.

“How can we support the selfish project of Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, which is posing a threat to the environment and is against the interests of fishermen?” she asked in a statement.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s allegation that the AIADMK had also promised to implement the project in its election manifesto in 2006, Ms. Jayalalithaa said though former Chief Minister MGR and she supported the project, the AIADMK started opposing it in the wake of warning by scientists.

“Environmentalists warned that it will destroy 1,300 marine species and plants. The Bombay Natural History Society also pointed out the contradiction in the environment impact assessment report for the project.”

The Chief Minister should take constructive steps to help Sri Lankan Tamils.
 
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