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SETHUSAMUDRAM SHIP CANAL PROJECT - Manitham urges investigation by
'Independent International Experts'
Video
bird view of Adams Bridge
Introduction :
"Construct a road by rising Sethu"
Our very familiar and India's freedom Tamil Lyric writer Maha Kavi (Great Poet)
Bharathi in one of his famous poems 'Sindhu Nadhien Isai'.
However we do not wish either to analyze or discuss whether Bharathi's
imagination of the Sethu Road Project was recorded in poetical lines with or
without taking into consideration the environmental aspects.
The intention of these memorializes is to bring to your kind notice matters
connected with the proposed project of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project
[SSCP] of
the Union Government of India.
A news item that appeared on 'The Hindu', dated 10-07-2004, reported that Union
Shipping Minister Thiru. T.R.Baalu ensuring that due precautionary measures were
taken and there will be no damage to the Gulf of Mannar [GOM]'s biosphere while
implementing the 144 year project SSCP.
We, Manitham [www.manitham.net], working for promoting human
rights and protecting environment, feel that this is a mega project and want to
ascertain whether in constructing the canal there would be any geological,
oceanographic and environmental changes, as well as any land subsidence.
Therefore, we decided to fully explore independently, the environmental impact due to SSCP.
Because of the urgency we decided to submit Interim Report for your
consideration what we have already received so far and assure you to furnish
whatever relevant materials that we receive in future, in our Final Report.
SSCP : The Background
SSCP is a 144 year dream of Tamils. Commander A D Taylor from Indian Marine
planned this SSCP project in the year 1860. In 1952 Sir A Ramasamy [Mudaliar]
submitted a proposal and major feasibility report.
As per the present plan, the total length of SSCP would be about 260 km - about
120 km from Tuticorin Port to Adam's Bridge (in Gulf of Mannar), and about 140
km north of Rameswaram from Adam's Bridge to Bay of Bengal channel (in Palk
Bay). Overall GOM and Palk Strait [PS] cover an area of 10,500 kms. The canal is
being investigated for different drafts (for 9.15 m, 10.7 m and 12.8 m). In
general, the canal will have a depth of 12 meters enabling 10,000 to 12,000 GRT
vessels to pass through. The Government of India is proposing to dredge a width
of 300 meter through 44 nautical miles long stretch. It is estimated that 32.5
million cubic meter sand will be dredged in the Adam's bridge area and around 52
million cubic meters in Palk Strait.
Geographic Location:
Gulf of Mannar [GOM] :
The Gulf of Mannar [GOM] falls in the Indo-Pacific
region, considered to be one of world's richest marine biological resources. The
Gulf has been chosen as a biosphere reserve primarily because of its biological
and ecological uniqueness. The region has a distinctive socio-economic and
cultural profile shaped by its geography. It has an ancient maritime history and
was famous for the production of pearls. Pearl has been an important item of our
trade with the Roman Empire as early as the first century A.D., while Rameswaram,
with its links in legend to the Ramayana, has been an important pilgrim centre.
The region has been and continues to be famous for its production of chank
(Indian conch). The GOM is famous for its chanks, although irrational chank
fishing has severely depleted the stock. In addition, the biosphere reserve in
the area has 17 different mangrove species. The GOM thus constitutes a live
scientific laboratory of national and international value. It has 3,600 species
of plants and animals that make it India's biologically richest coastal region.
It is, of course, specially known for its corals, of which there are 117 species
belonging to 37 genera. The GOM is a chain of shoal, called Adam's Bridge. It is
an inlet of the Indian Ocean, between South Eastern India and Western Sri Lanka.
The GOM is 130 km to 275 km wide and 160 km long. During high tide the seawater
would raise to more than 1.2 meters above the sea level. Full of beach ridges,
the GOM can be grouped into: (i) Beach ridges south of Vaigai River; (ii) Beach
ridges between Kotangudi River and Palar River; (iii) Beach ridges between Palar
River and Gundar River system; (iv) Beach ridges between Gundar River and
Vaippar River; and (v) Beach ridges south of Vaippar River.
The total water logged land has been calculated to be 5.96 km2. Eight serious of
Strand Lines can also be observed, apart from the Sea Cliff and Caves.
Adam's Bridge: Adam's Bridge is a chain of Shoal, nearly seven in all, is 30 km
long. Sir Emerson Tennet in his book 'Ceylon' writes -" The barrier known as
Adam's Bridge which obstructs the navigation in the canal between Ceylon and
Ramad, consists of several parallel ledges of conglomerate and sand dunes, hard
at the surface and growing course and soft as it descends till it rests on a
bank of sand, apparently accumulated by the influence of current at the change
of the monsoons". Also according to geological survey, it is apparent that
Miocene Era limestone beds are under the Adams Bridge which connects Jaffna
peninsula in Sri Lanka and Rameswaram in India. [Ref: The pre-history of Sri
Lanka by S.U.Deraniyagala]. 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. This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the
mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in
tredha yuga (more than 1,700,000 years ago). In this epic, there is a mentioning
about a bridge, which was built between Rameshwaram (India) and Srilankan coast
under the supervision of a dynamic and invincible figure called Rama who is
supposed to be the incarnation of the supreme. This information may not be of
much importance to the archeologists who are interested in exploring the origins
of man, but it is sure to open the spiritual gates of the people of the world to
have come to know an ancient history linked to the Indian mythology.
Palk Strait [PS]: PS is an inlet of Bay of Bengal. The PS is 64 kms to 137 kms
wide and 137 kms long. It receives several rivers including Vaigai from India
and contains many islands of Sri Lanka.
The Gulf of Mannar [GOM] falls in the Indo-Pacific
region, considered to be one of world's richest marine biological resources. The
Gulf has been chosen as a biosphere reserve primarily because of its biological
and ecological uniqueness. The region has a distinctive socio-economic and
cultural profile shaped by its geography. It has an ancient maritime history and
was famous for the production of pearls. Pearl has been an important item of our
trade with the Roman Empire as early as the first century A.D., while Rameswaram,
with its links in legend to the Ramayana, has been an important pilgrim centre.
The region has been and continues to be famous for its production of chank
(Indian conch). The GOM is famous for its chanks, although irrational chank
fishing has severely depleted the stock. In addition, the biosphere reserve in
the area has 17 different mangrove species. The GOM thus constitutes a live
scientific laboratory of national and international value. It has 3,600 species
of plants and animals that make it India's biologically richest coastal region.
It is, of course, specially known for its corals, of which there are 117 species
belonging to 37 genera. The GOM is a chain of shoal, called Adam's Bridge. It is
an inlet of the Indian Ocean, between South Eastern India and Western Sri Lanka.
The GOM is 130 km to 275 km wide and 160 km long. During high tide the seawater
would raise to more than 1.2 meters above the sea level. Full of beach ridges,
the GOM can be grouped into: (i) Beach ridges south of Vaigai River; (ii) Beach
ridges between Kotangudi River and Palar River; (iii) Beach ridges between Palar
River and Gundar River system; (iv) Beach ridges between Gundar River and
Vaippar River; and (v) Beach ridges south of Vaippar River.
Adam's Bridge: Adam's Bridge is a chain of Shoal, nearly seven in all, is 30 km
long. Sir Emerson Tennet in his book 'Ceylon' writes -" The barrier known as
Adam's Bridge which obstructs the navigation in the canal between Ceylon and
Ramad, consists of several parallel ledges of conglomerate and sand dunes, hard
at the surface and growing course and soft as it descends till it rests on a
bank of sand, apparently accumulated by the influence of current at the change
of the monsoons". Also according to geological survey, it is apparent that
Miocene Era limestone beds are under the Adams Bridge which connects Jaffna
peninsula in Sri Lanka and Rameswaram in India. [Ref: The pre-history of Sri
Lanka by S.U.Deraniyagala]. 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. This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the
mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in
tredha yuga (more than 1,700,000 years ago). In this epic, there is a mentioning
about a bridge, which was built between Rameshwaram (India) and Srilankan coast
under the supervision of a dynamic and invincible figure called Rama who is
supposed to be the incarnation of the supreme. This information may not be of
much importance to the archeologists who are interested in exploring the origins
of man, but it is sure to open the spiritual gates of the people of the world to
have come to know an ancient history linked to the Indian mythology.