Sethu Canal
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The Sethu Canal, also known as the Sethu Samudram Ship Canal Project, was inaugurated on 2 July, 2005, by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. This proposed navagational canal through a 19-mile (30 km) stretch of shallow sea in the Palk Strait would bypass passage around Sri Lanka. It would reduce the travel distance by some 470 nautical miles (870 km) and transit time by some 36 hours, but is beset by a number of financial and ecological questions.
The canal was first proposed in the late 1800s during the British Raj, and finally on March 13, 2003, the Central Government of India, headed by then Prime Minister Vajpayee, gave the go ahead.
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[edit] Pros and cons
Proponents say that the Sethu Samudram project will galvanize Indian shipping through the cheaper and shorter sea routes and will lead to further development of several Indian ports including Tuticorin, Nagapattinam and Rameshwaram. An adverse consequence for Sri Lanka would be the devaluation of Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee, but this could be offset by the development of Talai Mannar, Kankesanthurai and Point Pedro.
The Indian National Environmental Engineering Research Institute has completed an environmental management program on averting or minimizing damage to marine environment during construction. Environmentalists are concerned as the Gulf of Mannar Marine Reserve is one of India's most biologically diverse coastal regions. Over 3,600 species of plants and animals are found here. The sea grass beds along the coast are among the largest remaining feeding grounds for the globally endangered dugong. Additionally five species of marine turtles, innumerable fish, mollusks and crustaceans also feed there. Gulf of Mannar is the first Marine Biosphere Reserve not only in India but also in South and South East Asia. The reserve covers 10,500 km² and has 21 islands with continuous stretches of coral reef. The coral reefs which surround the islands in the area are highly productive and are often referred to as "underwater tropical rain forest" and are a treasure house for marine ornamental fishes. The establishment of the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere reserve has enhanced India's position as an environmentally responsible country in the comity of nations.
Environmentalists are concerned that this project will endanger the fragile marine ecology of the area through constant dredging to maintain a canal depth of about 10 m. The increase in shipping traffic will inevitably result in an increase in oil spills and marine pollution. The Bombay (Mumbai) Natural History Society (BNHS) is mobilizing public opinion and funds to campaign for the Sethu Samudram Project to be dropped in order to preserve the ecosystems in this region.
More than 138 villages and towns spread over five districts depend heavily on the fishery resources of the Gulf. Commercial fishing is done in about 5,500 km². and nearly 50,000 people dwelling in 47 villages along the coastline bordering the Gulf of Mannar depend directly on the biodiversity resources of the Biosphere reserve for their livelihood, mainly the fishery resources of the waters of the Gulf of Mannar. The Tuticorin South District Fishermen Community Association has said that increased movement of ships would affect their living. They have reported that their boats and nets were destroyed because of accidents due to movement of ships in the fishing area on the sea. They demand that the fishing zone should be enlarged to 40 nautical miles (74 km) from the present 17.5 nautical miles (32.4 km) as the present fishing zone is not adequate. Even they have expressed fears that due to deep dredging, the Gulf of Mannar with 5,500 km². fishing zone may become void of fish and affect their livelihood. Clear demarcation of ship movement zone and fishing zone to be ensured to safeguard the interest of fishermen.
[edit] Cost Benefit Analysis
Assuming that international vessels would prefer to go through this canal as against the Colombo port route, an estimated 2,000 vessels or more may use the canal annually. In the 19th year, cumulative annual earnings from the project are expected to be over Rs 5,000 crore. The project is estimated to cost about Rs 2,000 crore and debt-equity ratio is estimated to be 7:5. The Central Government is planning to go in for a mix of equity and debt for the project and for the first time. These estimates must receive public scrutiny.
[edit] Recent controversy
Recently the canal has marred by controvery. NASA released satellite image showing possible man made under sea bridge in the Gulf of Mannar. Hindus in India have regarded this bridge as the remains of the bridge built by Vanar Sena to cross Sri Lanka, as mentioned in Ramayana. Against a PIL submitted in supreme court in India, the India government filed an affidavat claiming that the undersea bridge is natural formation. The government had to withdraw the affidavat due to increased pressure from the Indian public.
