Rama Sethu acted as 'barrier' during Tsunami: ADB expert

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) A former Asian Development Bank expert has urged for preserving the legendary 'Rama Sethu' bridge of 'Ramayana' times now immersed under sea waters, saying it had protected the entire South and South-West of Nagapattinam when the Tsunami struck the coastlines of several countries in the Indian Ocean.

Dr S Kalyanaraman, also a researcher, sought to save one of the oldest known structures, popularly known as Rama's bridge, built across the sea as the Central government plans to execute the Sethusamudram ship navigation channel project aimed at linking the eastern and western coasts of the Southern peninsular region under the fast track.

After the Tsunami struck the Indian coasts in December 2004, shoal accumulations of the Rama Sethu acted as a barrier in protecting the coastline on the South and South-West of Nagapattinam.

The devastating high tides caused by the displacement of tectonic events near Banda Aceh in Indonesia circled the entire Sri Lankan Island and partially moved to Kerala and towards the Rama bridge.

''If the bridge is breached for Sethusamudram, the waters would directly gush into the entire peninsular region beyond Dhanushkodi and the coastline in Kerala to Konkan regions in Karnataka-Goa and Maharashtra and the devastation would be incalculable,'' he said.

The cost of future dredging should be taken into account to clear the navigational channel and keep it operational. The heavy oil tankers obviously have to circumnavigate around Sri Lanka through straints of Malacca to reach markets of South-East and East Asian countries, Dr Kalyanaraman wrote in RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser'.

The weekly has also published joint statements of RSS Chief K S Sudarshan and his deputy Mohan Bhagawath seeking an expert body to explore ways of completing the project without damaging the Rama Sethu.

''Hindus believe that this under water wonder bridge was constructed by Lord Rama with the help of 'Vanaras' in his campaign against Ravana. The satellite image of NASA had confirmed the existence of the bridge like the construction fortifying the beliefs of millions of believers,'' they said and also urged the government to take note of the damage caused to the dredging equipment.

UNI