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Sethusamudram project committee meets
New
Delhi,
Oct
11:
The
committee
of
eminent
persons
constituted
by
the
Centre
to
look
into
the
Sethusamudram
Shipping
Channel
Project
held
its
first
meeting
here
today.
All the members of the committee were present in today"s meeting.
The Government has sought three months time from the Supreme Court to examine the Sethusamudram project.
The Committee has invited objections and suggestions, including from the writ petitioners in the cases in the Supreme Court, on the project.
It will then consider suggestions, proposals and documents after giving them a personal hearing.
The 560 million dollars project that will dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and cutting costs for freight traffic, has been opposed to by the conservationists and the Hindu organisations.
Opposing the project, while conservationists and local fishermen say the increased freight traffic will harm marine life and threaten the livelihood of thousands of fishermen in both countries; the Hindu organisations say the project would destroy the mythical Ram Sethu, a 48- kilometre chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka.
The ten-member committee constituted to look into the matter is headed by University of Madras Vice-Chancellor Prof. S. Ramachandran, who is also the Chairman of Monitoring Committee on Environmental Impact Issues.
The
committee
comprises
of
former
Professor
of
History
at
the
Delhi
University
Prof.
R
S
Sharma;
Aqua
Culture
Foundation
of
India
President
Dr.
M.
Sakthivel;
former
Chairman
of
the
Central
Pollution
Control
Board
Prof.
Dilip
K.
Biswas;
former
Director
of
Zoological
Survey
of
India,
Kolkata,
Dr.
J.R.B.
Alfred;
Deputy
Director
of
the
National
Environmental
Engineering
Research
Institute
(NEERI),
Nagpur,
Dr.
S.R.
Wate;
former
Vice-Chancellor
of
the
Bharatidasan
University,
Tamil
Nadu,
Prof.
P.
Jagadeesan;
former
Vice-Chancellor
of
the
Kakatiya
University,
Andhra
Pradesh,
Prof.
Y.
Vaikuntham;
Director
of
the
Deccan
College,
Pune
Dr.
K.
Paddayya;
and
Managing
Director
of
the
Indian
Ports
Association,
R
K
Jain.
The committee held detailed deliberation on the matter today.
It has decided to invite objections and suggestions by 5 p.m. on October 31 addressed to Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Post Graduate and Research Development Block, "Poompozhil", 5, Greenways Road, Chennai - 600 028.
The committee will give a personal hearing from October 29 to November 6 (on all days including holidays).
The period from November 4-6 has been kept for giving personal hearing to the petitioners.
ANI
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