Centre drafts an affidavit to support Sethusamudran Project

The controversial Sethusamudram Project is back in news after the ruling UPA government decided to support the project after working out on all the differences in the Cabinet Committee on Public Affairs (CCPA) meeting on Thursday.

The meeting headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Energy Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Culture Minister Ambika Soni, Law Minister HR Bhardwaj and Shipping Minister TR Baalu among others and firmed up a 90 paged affidavit.

Now, the government will request the Supreme Court to vacate the stay on the mega shipping project which was halted last year after the government affidavit questioned the very existence of Lord Rama. The project if completed will shorten the sea route between eastern and western coast of India.

The opposition party BJP and many other religious and environmental group opposed the project even the Culture Ministry of the ruling party had differences over the project with Shipping Minister. The ministry said that there has been no study conducted by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to conclude whether the Ram Sethu is natural or artificial. But Shipping Minister T R Baalu (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) insisted that the bridge is natural. The project has also been opposed by Sri Lankan government.

It is believed that the multi crore project would destroy the 48-kilometre chain of limestone shoals that linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka.

The environmentalist restored their fear that the project might affect the marine life causing changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity and flow of nutrients. Pollution created by the passing ships will erode the sensitive ecosystem. The change in temperature will also affect the rainfall pattern.

Other than marine life safety of the ships also remains the major concern when the whole region is infested by terrorism. Also Rama Sethu is etched in nation conscience as most of the Hindus believe that it was constructed by Rama.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Suresh Mehta said, “It is a viable project. But, on completion, it will be useful only for small ships but not to those big ships navigating on international routes.”

Last year in November T R Baalu announced that the project will be completed by November 2008.

UPA will file a 90 paged affidavit on Friday in the Supreme Court to seek the vacation of the stay on the project.