Sethu Samudram ship canal project

[vs007]

Sethu project: 4 bidders qualify
Chennai, June 1: Four companies have qualified for the pre-qualification bids for implementing the 'A','B' and 'C' stages of the Sethusamudram project, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu has said.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the ongoing road projects in Chennai, he said Kandenul, a joint venture company, Dredging Corporation of India and Dredging Corporation International, Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company and Vanoord, were the four companies who have qualified.
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID={0A479154-1194-44AE-B4E6-60745C23023E}&CATEGORYNAME=CHN

[WillyWick]

Sethu environment impact report flawed, says Greenpeace

CHENNAI: The Sethusamudram project was cleared based on a "flawed" Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report, prepared by the National Environmental Research Institute (NEERI), according to Greenpeace, an organisation working to expose global environmental problems.

The Greenpeace, which released a report here on Tuesday, said the EIA report, prepared in a hurry in 2004, did not provide critical data on the impact, and it was engineered to support a number of false recommendations.

The report, which the organisation said was prepared in a hurry in 2004, did not address the impact of dredging on the fisherfolks, including displacement. It had undermined and, in some instances, ignored the region's marine biodiversity. It gave false information that the endangered dugongs and dolphins were confined to the borders of the Gulf of Mannar National Park. Without conducting any primary studies, the report said all corals along the alignment were dead reef systems. The dredging was likely to destroy habitats and displace species. The consistent churning of sediment would also smother the coral reefs and damage sea grass, which in turn would affect the species dependent on them. The increase in shipping traffic would result more oil spills and marine pollution. The worst affected would be the fisherfolk, whose fishing areas would be reduced considerably once the canal was commissioned, the Greenpeace said.

"High risk factors not considered"

The Sethusamudram would probably be the only offshore project in the world, in which the planners admitted publicly that they did not consider the high risk factors and yet decided to press ahead with implementation.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/19/stor...1904280500.htm

[Anniyan]

ADAM'S BRIDGE: Union Minister for Shipping T.R. Baalu on Monday inaugurated dredging work connected to the Sethusamudram project in the Adam's Bridge area, near the International Maritime Boundary Line off the Rameswaram coast, at a simple ceremony held on board a Coast Guard hovercraft.



As Mr. Baalu, flanked by State Minister Thangavelan, Bhavani Rajendran MP and Tuticorin Port Trust Chairman N. Raghupathy, fired in the air thrice to mark the launching of dredging work. Cutter suction dredger (CSD) Aquarius, stationed at a few hundred metres from the hovercraft, began dredging amid cheers from the Ministers, officials, dredging engineers and Coast Guard personnel.

The CSD Aquarius, derequisitioned from a foreign charter, can dredge approximately 30,000 cubic metres a day.

The Sethusamudram project envisages creation of an offshore navigation channel of nearly 167 km. It will have two legs of 54-km dredged channel in the Palk Strait off Point Calimere in the north and 35 km of dredged channel in the Adam's Bridge area.

"The Dredging Corporation of India will complete the project before 2008. Though there is a high demand for dredgers in several countries, the Ministry of Shipping and other leading port trusts in the country have taken a vow to complete the dream project within the stipulated time," said Mr. Baalu. Concerted efforts would be taken to hire dredgers from Holland, Belgium, Taiwan, Korea and other nations. "The country is badly in need of several dredgers in order to increase the capacity of all 12 leading ports and compete with other countries. Considering this, the Ministry of Shipping has already placed an order with an indigenous company to manufacture a modern dredger at a cost of Rs.250 crore," he said. Mr. Baalu said the ecology of the Gulf of Mannar would not be disturbed. No dredging would be done there except in a small portion at Adam's Bridge.

Enough precautions had been taken to monitor the environmental impact during the dredging at Adam's Bridge.

Leading environmental institutes would study the air, noise and surface aspects at the dredging and dumping sites.

He said there was no connection between the recent death of whales and the dredging. According to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, just six whales had died, as against the death of 39 dolphins and a whale in 1982 and 46 dolphins in 1999.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/12/stor...1204320400.htm

[WillyWick]

Nice pics anniyan

[senty]

http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/12/stor...1204320400.htm

# Sethusamudram project envisages creation of 167-km offshore navigation channel
# Baalu says the dredging will not disturb ecology of the Gulf of Mannar



ON THE JOB: Dredging under way near Adam's Bridge off the Rameswaram coast. — Photo: K. Ganesan

ADAM'S BRIDGE: Union Minister for Shipping T.R. Baalu on Monday inaugurated dredging work connected to the Sethusamudram project in the Adam's Bridge area, near the International Maritime Boundary Line off the Rameswaram coast, at a simple ceremony held on board a Coast Guard hovercraft.

As Mr. Baalu, flanked by State Minister Thangavelan, Bhavani Rajendran MP and Tuticorin Port Trust Chairman N. Raghupathy, fired in the air thrice to mark the launching of dredging work. Cutter suction dredger (CSD) Aquarius, stationed at a few hundred metres from the hovercraft, began dredging amid cheers from the Ministers, officials, dredging engineers and Coast Guard personnel.

The CSD Aquarius, derequisitioned from a foreign charter, can dredge approximately 30,000 cubic metres a day.

The Sethusamudram project envisages creation of an offshore navigation channel of nearly 167 km. It will have two legs of 54-km dredged channel in the Palk Strait off Point Calimere in the north and 35 km of dredged channel in the Adam's Bridge area.

"The Dredging Corporation of India will complete the project before 2008. Though there is a high demand for dredgers in several countries, the Ministry of Shipping and other leading port trusts in the country have taken a vow to complete the dream project within the stipulated time," said Mr. Baalu. Concerted efforts would be taken to hire dredgers from Holland, Belgium, Taiwan, Korea and other nations. "The country is badly in need of several dredgers in order to increase the capacity of all 12 leading ports and compete with other countries. Considering this, the Ministry of Shipping has already placed an order with an indigenous company to manufacture a modern dredger at a cost of Rs.250 crore," he said. Mr. Baalu said the ecology of the Gulf of Mannar would not be disturbed. No dredging would be done there except in a small portion at Adam's Bridge.

Enough precautions had been taken to monitor the environmental impact during the dredging at Adam's Bridge.

Leading environmental institutes would study the air, noise and surface aspects at the dredging and dumping sites.

He said there was no connection between the recent death of whales and the dredging. According to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, just six whales had died, as against the death of 39 dolphins and a whale in 1982 and 46 dolphins in 1999.

[madurai veeran]

Lets move on


The plan to reconstruct Dhanushkodi at a cost of 100 crore dropped. This was actually included as part of the Sethu Samudhram project but had to be dropped as the previous TN government failed to hand over those region to central government during early stages of sethu project.

He also said that central government would consider if request was made by state government to link Rameshwaram to Thalai Mannar by a bridge.

http://www.dinamani.com/NewsItems.as...YhPeLs&Topic=0

P.S : Dhanushkodi was a small island which was engulfed by high tides in sea.

[MaduraiSelvam]

Originally Posted by madurai veeran

Lets move on


The plan to reconstruct Dhanushkodi at a cost of 100 crore dropped. This was actually included as part of the Sethu Samudhram project but had to be dropped as the previous TN government failed to hand over those region to central government during early stages of sethu project.

He also said that central government would consider if request was made by state government to link Rameshwaram to Thalai Mannar by a bridge.

http://www.dinamani.com/NewsItems.as...YhPeLs&Topic=0

P.S : Dhanushkodi was a small island which was engulfed by high tides in sea.

Thats bad, if Dhanushkodi is reconstructed it will be a beautiful place and very useful indeed.

[Fusionist]

here is a map suggesting the different areas for dredging on this project



image copyright : sethusamuthram corporation ltd

[MaduraiSelvam]

Measures to protect Coral Reefs in the Sethu Samuthiram Canal. Picture showing the ship parked to do research analysis with the sand samples from the dretched sand.

from www.dinakaran.com

[madurai veeran]

Madurai, Jan 29: In yet another set back to the dredging work of Sethusamudram ship channel project, a giant crane sent to retrieve the spud that broke while trying to cut the "Ramar Sethu" or Adams bridge in the Palk Strait has also broken and a part of it had sunk in the sea, officials said.

The spud of the "cutter-sucker-dredger Aquarius" had broken last week while cutting the bridge, dealing a blow to the dredging work. With the crane also broken, the project was likely to be delayed further, the officials said.

The 150-tonne floating tug crane "Thangam", hired for several lakhs of rupees a day by the project officials, could not pull out the spud and broke in the process yesterday.

The crane's locking-key had broken and it would take another 10 days to retrieve and repair it.

Officials were now thinking of bringing a bigger crane - hanuman - having 200 tonne capacity from Vishakapattinam to retrieve both the sunken crane and the spud.

AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa has opposed dredging in the area of Ramar Sethu bridge, stating that it was a historical monument.

According to Hindu mythology, lord ram constructed a stone bridge to enable his 'Vaanara Sena' to cross the Palk Straits to wage war with Ravan, King of Lanka, who had abducted his wife Seetha.

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/article...350687&sid=REG

[wcgokul]

not exactly a setback.......accidents do happen

[Tron]

Originally Posted by goram_vlad

not exactly a setback.......accidents do happen

I agree. This is much more acceptable compared to bureaucratic delays.

[madurai veeran]

Dredging work at Sethusamudram Ship Canal project would be delayed by around 20 days following the breakdown of a dredger working at Adams Bridge, according to Mr N.K. Raghupathy, Chairman and Managing Director, Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.

"We are making alternative arrangements. It will take 15-20 days for work to resume in the area," he told Business Line.

The spud (driller) of cutter-sucker-dredger Aquarius while drilling in the Adams Bridge broke and got buried deep into the soil. Thangam, a floating tug crane from Chennai, was hired to retrieve the spud. However, while trying to retrieve the spud, Thangam's locking key in the gearbox broke and the crane could not work, according to sources.

Mr K. Suresh, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust, said a team of engineers have rushed to the spot and Thangam would be taken to Tuticorin for repairs. An assessment of the damage would be done, and the tug would be back in action in a few days at Adams Bridge to rescue the spud.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...3103611400.htm

[cbeboy]

Sethusamudram project to be ready by November 2008


The Sethusamudram Corporation Limited is confident that the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, which envisages dredging of a channel across the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, will be commissioned by November 2008, its Chairman and Managing Director, N.K. Raghupathy, said here on Friday.

Delivering a lecture on the project, organised by the Indian Coast Guard for its personnel on board its ship `Sarang', he explained that the two-way channel would be one-way during the experimental phase. As per the approved project plan, the work should be completed in 180 weeks, which came to three-and-a-half years. "We have kept for ourselves three years." As regards the Palk Strait, the Dredging Corporation of India was committed to completing the work on the stretch by June 30 next year. A depth of 8.5 metres had been created as against the 12 metres required. By the end of this month, 9.2 metre depth would be available. On Adam's Bridge side, a spud in a dredger broke down, but the Cochin Shipyard had supplied the repaired part within a short span of 70 days. The stabilising process was on.

The chairman said that the navigational buoys would be installed in January next year. The authorities were finalising the vessel traffic system. "We foresee no problem even if the inter-arrival time of ships goes down."

Mr.Raghupathy said that the project would absolutely have no impact on the environment. On its own accord, the corporation was regularly monitoring the environmental commitments it had given.

Besides a major advantage of a reduction in sailing distance and time when the project comes through, fishermen would benefit directly as four fishing harbours at Muthupet, Thondi, Sethubhavachatram and Mookaiyur in Rameswaram are to be developed.

[wcgokul]

great news for india.

[goldies]

The Sethusamudram project issue rocked both Houses of Parliament on Thursday with an aggressive Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the government of attempting to destroy evidence of the existence of the ancient Ram Setu (bridge) linking India and Sri Lanka.

Countering the claim in Lok Sabha, Shipping Minister T R Baalu, joined by DMK members, strongly objected to the issue being raised in the House on the ground that it was sub-judice. He said the matter was pending in the Allahabad
High Court.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/03parl.htm

[Leo_r]

No one in the World can beat Indians in inventing stories to scuttle a project for stray pleasure. I wonder, you can't do anything with Cricket stadiums in future, since English Media are repeatedly branding Sachin Tendulkar as GOD!.

[Curry4Ever]

Originally Posted by Leo_r

No one in the World can beat Indians in inventing stories to scuttle a project for stray pleasure. I wonder, you can't do anything with Cricket stadiums in future, since English Media are repeatedly branding Sachin Tendulkar as GOD!.

I wonder what makes you so qualified to judge others. By the way you write, it would seem that you are just another of those whingeing pommies that everyone is so familiar with. First, how many countries have you been to be able to say "No one in the World...." and second this thread is Shipping, not cricket. Lastly, English Media hehehehhehe

[Leo_r]

My only interest is that the "Shipping Channel Project" should be completed ahead of schedule.

[Leo_r]

Strait talk: Don't play politics with sethu project

It is unfortunate that work on the much-delayed Sethusamudram project is being held hostage to vote bank politics...

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2019960.cms