Nitin Gadkari has said that the government will find a viable and cost-effective means to the Sethusamudram Project
Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari made an aerial survey today and followed it up with a ride in a Coast Guard hovercraft with a group of experts to study an alternate alignment for the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.
The project - introduced by the UPA government - will build a channel through Palk Straits for navigation of ships, providing a shorter route for travelling between east and west coasts of the country. Currently, ships have to sail around Sri Lanka. But it ran into trouble with saffron groups and other religious organisations, which were against dredging near the Adam's bridge (Ram Sethu), which is respected in Hindu Mythology.
Surveying the area around the Pamban bridge, Nitin Gadkari told NDTV, "We will not touch Ram Sethu and the UPA alignment for Sethusamudram is unacceptable to us. We will find a viable, cost-effective means and submit the proposal before the Supreme Court."
Experts in his team suggest the proposal to dredge 11 feet below the sea bed around Pamban bridge is likely to be included in the Sethusamudram alignment, since it will allow ships with load up to 30,000 tons to pass.
The ruling AIADMK is against the implementation of the project and petitioned before Supreme Court. The matter is sub-judice.
Mr Gadkari also met the families of the five fishermen from Rameswaram who have been sentenced to death by a court in Sri Lanka on drug charges. India is pursuing the case for the release of the men, who had been arrested in 2011.
Mr Gadkari told the families that he would take up the matter with the Prime Minister and the foreign ministry and see if there were any means by which they could be allowed to meet the men in the jail.