04-19-2007, 07:15 AM
And who would benefit from the project?
http://www.informationhunting.com/Jaffna
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jaffna Jaffna Harbour Jaffna Harbour
The pending Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project may increase the productivity of the Jaffna Harbour positively. Enlargement of the harbour will bring benefits to Sri Lanka. The strategic advantages derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 350 nautical miles (650 km) (for larger ships). The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu in India. The project will be of particular significance to Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Mannar, Point Pedro and Tuticorin harbour.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2005/7/2694.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sethu Project will block Sea Tigers` activities: Indian expert
Sunday, 17 July 2005 - 9:31 AM SL TimeÂ
The Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) will prevent the LTTE`s Sea Tigers from indulging in maritime terrorism, an Indian expert has said.
Speaking at a national seminar in Kozhikode (Kerala) on the $560-million SSCP on Tuesday, V. Suryanarayan, Professor for Maritime Studies and Research at Calicut University, said the channel will enhance India`s defence capabilities.
He said the LTTE`s military preparations need to be looked into. The emergence of Sea Tigers as a credible fighting force in India`s maritime neighbourhood has to be analysed in the context of changing strategic environment, especially in the Palk Bay, the objectives of the Sea Tigers, and the likely dangers posed by maritime terrorism.
The channel will enhance and facilitate the presence and movement of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, and put an effective check on the activities of the Sea Tigers in the region, Prof. Suryanarayan explained.
Participating in the seminar, Indian Coast Guard`s Deputy Director General Prabhakaran Paleri said, a direct benefit from the channel will be the ability of Naval and Coast Guard vessels to cross over from India`s east coast to the west coast and vice versa in a shorter period of time because they do not need to go round Sri Lanka.
In times of emergency, the Navy and the Coast Guard can mobilize more vessels and men in a shorter span of time, other speakers said.
Participants pointed out that the channel will provide a major boost to coastal shipping and promote the emergence of Tuticorin harbour as a hub on the Indian east coast. Besides, it offers a direct link between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea through the Palk Bay ' entirely in Indian territorial waters.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had laid the channel`s foundation stone on July 2. The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) began dredging work on the same day on a 13.57km stretch of seabed at Point Calimere coast off Nagapattinam in Palk Strait. So far, it has dredged 200,000 cubic metres. Union Shipping Minister TR Baalu says that, at this rate, the DCI may complete the work of dredging 13.5 million cubic metres in 20 months, instead of the allotted 24 months.
Dredging the remaining 69mcm at Adam`s Bridge and Palk Strait will require greater expertise.
Global bids have since been floated for dredging at three sites. Tender documents will have to be submitted by end-August. Bids have been invited by dividing the work into four legs: two at Adam`s Bridge (across 11km and 24.05km), and two at Palk Strait (across 40.86km and 13.57km). Successful bidders will start dredging work by November.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And who else was protesting?
Local protest to follow Indian on Sethusamudram Project
Tuesday, 23 August 2005 - 4:46 AM SL Time
A National campaign against the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project with the participation of fishing communities, environmentalists and community-based organizations will be held opposite the Fort Railway Station next Wednesday.
Organised by the National Movement Against Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (NMSSCP) the protest is a part of the bilateral campaign against the SSCP in Sri Lanka and India.
A petition highlighting the objections against the SSCP would be handed over to the Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao following the protest, organisers said.
Meanwhile, a demonstration was held at Arakattuthurai in the Nagapattinam district in Southern India against the SSCP last week.
Nearly 750 volunteers of the Movement Against Sethusamudram Ship Canal project and fishermen joined the demonstration, raising slogans against the project which they said was ruining the livelihood of fishermen.
An attempt by the volunteers and fishermen to go into the sea off Arakattuthurai in 200 fiberglass boats and block the dredging work there was averted by the Police.
The project is claimed to cause great damage to the marine eco-system in the Gulf of Mannar, including the National Marine Biological Reserve which houses some 3,600 species of plants and animals including a number of important species of corals.
The whole area is biologically rich and is rated among the highly productive seas of the world. The coral reefs in the gulf houses nearly 750 fish varieties with nearly 800,000 fishermen from both countries being dependent on these resources.
The most far-fetched and the worst prediction had been made by the <b>Tamil Human Rights and Environmentalist group, Manitham</b>. Manitham in its interim report on SSCP had predicted that half of Jaffna peninsula and nearly 85 islands on the Western and North Western coasts of Sri Lanka and half of Rameswaram would go under the sea if the Miocene era lime stone reef link between the Jaffna peninsula and Rameswaram is to be broken by dredging.
http://www.informationhunting.com/Jaffna
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jaffna Jaffna Harbour Jaffna Harbour
The pending Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project may increase the productivity of the Jaffna Harbour positively. Enlargement of the harbour will bring benefits to Sri Lanka. The strategic advantages derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 350 nautical miles (650 km) (for larger ships). The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu in India. The project will be of particular significance to Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Mannar, Point Pedro and Tuticorin harbour.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2005/7/2694.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sethu Project will block Sea Tigers` activities: Indian expert
Sunday, 17 July 2005 - 9:31 AM SL TimeÂ
The Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) will prevent the LTTE`s Sea Tigers from indulging in maritime terrorism, an Indian expert has said.
Speaking at a national seminar in Kozhikode (Kerala) on the $560-million SSCP on Tuesday, V. Suryanarayan, Professor for Maritime Studies and Research at Calicut University, said the channel will enhance India`s defence capabilities.
He said the LTTE`s military preparations need to be looked into. The emergence of Sea Tigers as a credible fighting force in India`s maritime neighbourhood has to be analysed in the context of changing strategic environment, especially in the Palk Bay, the objectives of the Sea Tigers, and the likely dangers posed by maritime terrorism.
The channel will enhance and facilitate the presence and movement of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, and put an effective check on the activities of the Sea Tigers in the region, Prof. Suryanarayan explained.
Participating in the seminar, Indian Coast Guard`s Deputy Director General Prabhakaran Paleri said, a direct benefit from the channel will be the ability of Naval and Coast Guard vessels to cross over from India`s east coast to the west coast and vice versa in a shorter period of time because they do not need to go round Sri Lanka.
In times of emergency, the Navy and the Coast Guard can mobilize more vessels and men in a shorter span of time, other speakers said.
Participants pointed out that the channel will provide a major boost to coastal shipping and promote the emergence of Tuticorin harbour as a hub on the Indian east coast. Besides, it offers a direct link between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea through the Palk Bay ' entirely in Indian territorial waters.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had laid the channel`s foundation stone on July 2. The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) began dredging work on the same day on a 13.57km stretch of seabed at Point Calimere coast off Nagapattinam in Palk Strait. So far, it has dredged 200,000 cubic metres. Union Shipping Minister TR Baalu says that, at this rate, the DCI may complete the work of dredging 13.5 million cubic metres in 20 months, instead of the allotted 24 months.
Dredging the remaining 69mcm at Adam`s Bridge and Palk Strait will require greater expertise.
Global bids have since been floated for dredging at three sites. Tender documents will have to be submitted by end-August. Bids have been invited by dividing the work into four legs: two at Adam`s Bridge (across 11km and 24.05km), and two at Palk Strait (across 40.86km and 13.57km). Successful bidders will start dredging work by November.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And who else was protesting?
Local protest to follow Indian on Sethusamudram Project
Tuesday, 23 August 2005 - 4:46 AM SL Time
A National campaign against the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project with the participation of fishing communities, environmentalists and community-based organizations will be held opposite the Fort Railway Station next Wednesday.
Organised by the National Movement Against Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (NMSSCP) the protest is a part of the bilateral campaign against the SSCP in Sri Lanka and India.
A petition highlighting the objections against the SSCP would be handed over to the Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao following the protest, organisers said.
Meanwhile, a demonstration was held at Arakattuthurai in the Nagapattinam district in Southern India against the SSCP last week.
Nearly 750 volunteers of the Movement Against Sethusamudram Ship Canal project and fishermen joined the demonstration, raising slogans against the project which they said was ruining the livelihood of fishermen.
An attempt by the volunteers and fishermen to go into the sea off Arakattuthurai in 200 fiberglass boats and block the dredging work there was averted by the Police.
The project is claimed to cause great damage to the marine eco-system in the Gulf of Mannar, including the National Marine Biological Reserve which houses some 3,600 species of plants and animals including a number of important species of corals.
The whole area is biologically rich and is rated among the highly productive seas of the world. The coral reefs in the gulf houses nearly 750 fish varieties with nearly 800,000 fishermen from both countries being dependent on these resources.
The most far-fetched and the worst prediction had been made by the <b>Tamil Human Rights and Environmentalist group, Manitham</b>. Manitham in its interim report on SSCP had predicted that half of Jaffna peninsula and nearly 85 islands on the Western and North Western coasts of Sri Lanka and half of Rameswaram would go under the sea if the Miocene era lime stone reef link between the Jaffna peninsula and Rameswaram is to be broken by dredging.