New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today granted another six weeks to government to apprise it of its stand on the controversial Sethusamudram project about which a high-level committee has said that an alternative alignment, other than the one through mythological Ram Sethu, is not economically and ecologically feasible.
A bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad gave more time to the government to make its stand on the project and posted the case for further hearing to December 3.
The case relating to Ram Sethu had come under judicial scrutiny due to a batch of petitions filed in the apex court against the ambitious Sethusamudram project, whose execution allegedly could damage the mythological bridge.
Sethusamudram project is aimed at constructing a shorter navigational route around India's southern tip by breaching the Ram Sethu, said to have been built by Lord Rama's army of monkeys and bears to Ravana's kingdom Lanka.
As per the Sethusamudram project, the shipping channel is proposed to be 30 metres wide, 12 metres deep and 167 kms long.
The Prime Minister had appointed the committee after the apex court had asked the government to explore an alternative alignment for the shipping channel to prevent damage to the Sethu.
The committee, in its report, had raised questions on the alternative alignment after taking into account various aspects including its economic and ecological assessment.
Appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the panel, headed by eminent environmentalist R K Pachauri, had analysed various aspects and said the alternative route aimed at protecting Ram Sethu, also called Adams Bridge, was not an acceptable option and not in public interest.