'Sethusamudram project not profitable'

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa today criticised the Rs 2,427 crore Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) saying that its implementation will cause adverse impacts on the environment thereby affecting the livelihood of fishermen.

The SSCP will allow ships to sail between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka to circumnavigate peninsular India. At present, they have to sail around Sri Lanka to do so, a route that adds 780 kilometres and 30 hours to the journey.

The traffic through the canal is expected to be largely coal, finished goods and downstream petroproducts. However, the corporation had decided to avoid transport of crude oil through the canal because of the high level of environmental sensitivity of the area.

According to a press statement, the environmental study for the project was carried out by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri), which stated that the project, if implemented , would harm the marine inhabitants, coral reefs besides affecting the livelihood of the fishermen in that region.

The statement further said that the dredging activities carried out in the Gulf of Mannar region will have adverse impact on the marine creatures especially on the almost extinct Dugong species and coral reefs besides affecting the 37 rare species of 17 varieties of mangrove plants found in the region.

According to the release, the canal is only 12 metres deep and big ships may not be able to cross it. As a result, they have to follow the old method "" circumnavigate the peninsular India through Sri Lanka. The cruise owner should pay an amount to use this canal besides paying for pilot ship, a small guiding ship.

Apart from this, the ship should sail in a reduced amount of speed in this canal, which will result in more consumption of fuel. So, the SSCP project is profitable in no way, added the release.

Jayalalithaa stated that without utilising proper modelling tools to evacuate the marine wastes and carry out the dredging process, Union Minister of Shipping, Highways and Road Transport T R Baalu is keen on implementing the project.

The Sethusamudram canal was first conceived in 1860. Between 1860 and 1922, nine proposals were thought of to build a canal across a narrow strip of land, mostly Rameswaram island, to link Palk Bay to Gulf of Mannar. The SSCP is to build the canal through a reef called Adam's Bridge.