Sethuchannel project is a transport project. No point in pursuing sealane routes since no route makes nautical sense.
So, choose transport alternatives for moving goods and people from east coast to west coast of Bharat -- e.g., high-speed freight corridors, Colombo-Madurai rail-road link, gas and oil pipelines.
Promote projects to improve the lives of coastal people declaring marine special economic zones and promoting marine cooperatives.
To prevent further political messing up in this kaarasthan (conspiratorial place) of Sethusamudram, declare Ramasetu national monument and promote pilgrimage tourism declaring it as Sacred Bharatiya heritage.
Kalyanaraman
Centre abandons UPA-identified Sethu Samudram route
NEW DELHI: The Centre appears to have formally abandoned the UPA-identified route for the Sethu Samudram shipping channel that had raised a huge uproar as it would have "damaged" the mythological Ram Sethu or Adam's bridge.
On its query about exploring alternative route for the shipping channel, which was proposed to reduce the distance between western and eastern coasts of India, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has given an opinion telling the Centre that the government was free to explore alternative routes despite the pendency of the matter in the Supreme Court.
However, he advised the government to file an affidavit detailing the decision to explore the alternative route to the shipping channel since the matter was sub-judice. The apex court had in 2007 directed the Centre not to damage the Rama Sethu in implementing the project.
In February last year, the UPA government had informed the SC that it intended to go ahead with the Rs 25,000 crore Sethusamudram shipping channel project, which had raised a political storm after it was revealed that the mythical Ram Sethu would face dredging.
After the controversy over the Centre's affidavit in 2007 doubting the existence of Ramayana and Ram, a statement which was quickly withdrawn following waves of protest, then PM Manmohan Singh had appointed an expert group headed by environmentalist R K Pachauri to study economic and ecological viability of the planned shipping route and alternative alignments.
The expert committee, after a detailed study, had said that "neither alignment 4A (the alternative one) nor alignment 6 meet the benchmark Internal Rate Return (IRR) of 12% for the range of scenarios examined".
Citing favourable reports of the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), project consultant as well as the Committee of Eminent Persons, the Centre had said, "The project has economic, navigational and strategic advantages and, therefore, the government of India has been pursuing the project. An expenditure of Rs 829.32 crore has already been incurred on the project as on June 30, 2012. Given the advantages, the government of India intends to pursue implementation of the project."
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha, had sought realignment of the shipping channel to save Ram Sethu from any damage and declaring it as a national monument.
The SC had on August 31, 2007 restrained the government from damaging Ram Sethu while dredging. The Rs 25,000 crore project was inaugurated in July 2005 by then PM Manmohan Singh. The court had later suggested that the government examine an alternative route through Dhanuskodi to avoid dredging Ram Sethu.
On its query about exploring alternative route for the shipping channel, which was proposed to reduce the distance between western and eastern coasts of India, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has given an opinion telling the Centre that the government was free to explore alternative routes despite the pendency of the matter in the Supreme Court.
However, he advised the government to file an affidavit detailing the decision to explore the alternative route to the shipping channel since the matter was sub-judice. The apex court had in 2007 directed the Centre not to damage the Rama Sethu in implementing the project.
In February last year, the UPA government had informed the SC that it intended to go ahead with the Rs 25,000 crore Sethusamudram shipping channel project, which had raised a political storm after it was revealed that the mythical Ram Sethu would face dredging.
After the controversy over the Centre's affidavit in 2007 doubting the existence of Ramayana and Ram, a statement which was quickly withdrawn following waves of protest, then PM Manmohan Singh had appointed an expert group headed by environmentalist R K Pachauri to study economic and ecological viability of the planned shipping route and alternative alignments.
The expert committee, after a detailed study, had said that "neither alignment 4A (the alternative one) nor alignment 6 meet the benchmark Internal Rate Return (IRR) of 12% for the range of scenarios examined".
Citing favourable reports of the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), project consultant as well as the Committee of Eminent Persons, the Centre had said, "The project has economic, navigational and strategic advantages and, therefore, the government of India has been pursuing the project. An expenditure of Rs 829.32 crore has already been incurred on the project as on June 30, 2012. Given the advantages, the government of India intends to pursue implementation of the project."
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha, had sought realignment of the shipping channel to save Ram Sethu from any damage and declaring it as a national monument.
The SC had on August 31, 2007 restrained the government from damaging Ram Sethu while dredging. The Rs 25,000 crore project was inaugurated in July 2005 by then PM Manmohan Singh. The court had later suggested that the government examine an alternative route through Dhanuskodi to avoid dredging Ram Sethu.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Centre-abandons-UPA-identified-Sethu-Samudram-route/articleshow/45291424.cms