Plea to declare 'Ramasethu' World Heritage site

Vijayawada, July 22: The Government should make serious efforts to declare 'Ramasethu' a World Heritage site, a meeting organised by the 'Rameswaram Ramasethu Protection Movement', said here today.

''The Ramasethu is one of the world's oldest manmade bridge and the Government must respect the sentiments of crores of Indians.'' The meeting, organised to create awareness among the people on 'Ramasethu' protection, alleged that the Government was completely ignoring the opinions of experts and people, rejecting the appeals over the implementation of the controversial alignment of the Setu Samudram Project.

Retired High Court Judge and Rameswaram Ramasethu Protection Movement member S Paravata Rao claimed that the world's most ancient man-made bridge, built during the period of Ramayana was described in the epics of Ramayan and Mahabharat.

The manual of the administration of Madras Residency mentions both Adam's bridge and 'Ramasethu' and it also said the 'Setu' was used for traffic between India and Sri Lanka until 1480, he said.

Mr Rao said some petitions were filed in High Court and in the Supreme Court in this regard.

Experts and Scientists said once the Setu Samudram Project work started, rare species of corals and sea organisms would grow in the Gulf or Mannar and it would be adversly affected. It may also affect the delicate eco-system in areas. A large number of fishermen families would suffer due to dredging.

Retired Gariswon Engineer of Military Egineering Services B V Adinarayana said NASA pictures and Archaelogical Departments had declared that the bridge was 17.5 lakh years old.

UNI