SC suggested to GOI to review the options for alternative alignment after the petitioners convinced the Court that the Ramasetu was a national monument which was to be protected. The petition transferred from Madras HC to SC included the principal request that Ramasetu be declared a National Monument.
Such a declaration will avoid this and future governments tampering with the underwater cultural heritage recognised under UNESCO guidelines.
GOI appointed Pachauri Committee following SC direction. The Committee has categorically held that ALL alignments including the alternative alignment -- to avoid cutting through Ramasetu -- for a channel which would have cut through Dhanushkodi to be BOTH economically and ecologically unfeasible. This means that for transport from west coast to east coast alternative transport options should be considered which are available, for example, pipelines from westcoast to eastcost to carry oil and gas, rail freight corridor from Cochin/Tuticorin to the east coast, rail bridge from Srilanka across Gulf of Mannar, container-handling facilities at Vizhinjam and Tuticorin ports, enhanced use of existing Pamban channel where a rail cantilever bridge operates to facilitate navigation. For support to coastal people, marine cooperatives for fisherfolk as special economic zones should be considered with enhanced berthing/AC storage facilities for fishing vessels.
The setuchannel project should be abandoned. The project is NOT acceptable to Tamilnadu government,Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board did not give clearance, the project is of questionable economic value to the nation, of questionable benefit to the coastal people, but with serious implications for national security of the coastline in case of future tsunamis.
See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2013/02/tampering-with-ramasetu-will-be.html
Tampering with Ramasetu will be national security disaster See also: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2013/02/wont-tolerate-any-tampering-with-ram.html Centre playing with fire, junks Pachauri report. Nation won't tolerate tampering with Rama Setu (Update with 317 p. book on Intl. Seminar proceedings)
The present navigation around Sri Lanka is adequate and any channel across Gulf of Mannar will not make any nautical sense since any channel of only 11ft. depth can cater to only small sized vessels of less than 30000 tonnage.
It is notable that Min. of Culture/Archaeology Dept. has NOT commented on the declaration of Ramasetu as national monument despite notices issued by Courts to them.
To render justice to the petitioners, Hon'ble SC should take suo moto notice and direct GOI to declare Ramasetu as national monument as was done for Brahmasarovar in Haryana and as was done by GOI for Majuli island in Assam, the larget river island on Brahmaputra river by recommending world heritage status to UNESCO.
Based on the petitioners' submission, Madras HC observations, earlier SC directive to save and protect Ramasetu and since GOI cannot carry out the project without TamilNadu govt. and environmental clearance, SC should direct 1. declaration of Ramasetu as national monument to prevent any future tampering of the heritage and 2. GOI to treat the setuchannel project as cancelled.
Kalyanaraman
Published: February 24, 2013 19:33 IST | Updated: February 24, 2013 19:36 IST
Karunanidhi ridicules BJP, AIADMK stand on Sethu project
PTI
The Hindu DMK president M. Karunanidhi. File photoDMK president M. Karunanidhi on Sunday accused the BJP and the AIADMK for adopting double standards on the Sethusamudram project, which involvesdredging of ‘Ram Setu’ or Adam’s Bridge
Flaying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for their stand on Sethusamudram project, DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday said the national party while in power had proposed the alignment for the project which involves dredging of ‘Ram Setu’ or Adam’s Bridge, which it is firmly opposed to now.
Asking Centre to expedite steps to ensure a favourable verdict on the matter in the Supreme Court, the key UPA ally also said “some communal forces” had moved the apex court with a view to creating roadblocks.
“After considering various proposals over the route, then NDA government under A B Vajpayee had decided to implement the project on Alignment No.6 which involves the Adam’s Bridge.
“Having forgotten that and now opposing dredging of Ram setu... the conflict (in BJP’s stand) should be thought about,” he said in a statement here.
The Pachauri Committee, which submitted its report to the Supreme Court, has said the Sethusamudram shipping channel project is not viable on economic and ecological grounds.
Government has rejected the report and maintained that it intends to pursue the project which will cut through the Adam’s Bridge, popularly known as Ram Sethu.
BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad had said his party and the nation “will not tolerate” any tampering with the Ram Sethu.
On AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa’s demand to the Prime Minister that Rama Sethu be declared a national monument, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had claimed in 2005 that it was due to her efforts that preliminary work on the project was initiated in 1998 and that she had been a reason for its taking shape.
The party had in its 2001 poll manifesto also spoke in favour of the Sethusamudram project, he said and added she had turned against it since she didn’t want DMK to take credit.
Recalling that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi besides himself, then Chief Minister, had attended the inauguration of the project at Madurai, Mr. Karunanidhi said even then some had unsuccessfully approached the Supreme Court for a stay against the function.
“With the project going at good pace under then Shipping Minister T R Baalu, some communal forces had taken the issue to the Supreme Court with a view to creating roadblocks.”
Centre should take steps to get a favourable verdict from the court and ensure a better livelihood for people of southern Tamil Nadu, he said.
Ram Sethu is the mythical bridge on which Lord Ram and his army crossed the sea to invade Ravan’s kingdom. The project envisages dredging of a shipping channel across the Palk Straits between India and Sri Lanka.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karunanidhi-ridicules-bjp-aiadmk-stand-on-sethu-project/article4449273.ece?css=print