“The Colombo Port is a strategic advantage over Indian ports, while Sri Lanka has not had the political will to fulfil its dream of being a shipping hub of the region. India’s Sagaramala project of developing ports and attracting larger shipping lines and also the Sethusamudram canal are pointers to Delhi’s intentions. Feeder vessels could bypass Colombo and dock in Indian ports if the Sethusamudram canal is in place; only six could travel in a day.” __________________________
by Elmo Leonard
(May 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Indian Supreme Court is dragging its feet on the controversial Sethusamudram Canal, abruptly halted by a court injunction on the insistence of Hindu nationalists. The canal, if completed will bear on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, her economics and create environmental hazards and other dire consequences in the short and long term.
The building of the canal, a deepening of the water-bound continental shelf, was opposed from inception by international authorities of all relevant disciplines. The United Nations Law of the Sea states that in the building of such canals, the two nations be partners in the venture. Besides harming Sri Lanka’s interests of sovereignty and peaceful existence; the fisheries authorities and fisher folk of both nations are unhappy for it will freeze the hand of nature. Sri Lanka’s fisheries experts have said that the Gulf of Mannar which is part of the Indo-Pacific region is one of the world’s richest marine biological resources with 3,600 species of plant and animal life. It is also the home of the dugong found only in similar Middle Eastern waters.
Insults Indian sentiments
The canal will flout Indian sentiment and Hindu religious significance for it will cut through the yet significant sea-submerged islands lying between the two nations. The Indians say that Adam’s Bridge, mentioned in the Ramayana existed over these now submerged islands, before the rise of the oceans over 7,000 years ago. Damage to the bridge is said to be an insult to the religious sentiments of millions of Indians. Lord Rama’s heritage including the holy city of Rameshwaram which remains an archeologist’s dream is in jeopardy.
To this effect, the Baratha Janatha Party (BJP) and the Vishva Hindu Parasad (VHP) have also protested in the Lok Sabha.
The Government of India affirms that India is a secular state and though it recognises religions, it does not abide by religious sentiments.
The DMK in Tamil Nadu led by Karunanidhi supports the canal project while Opposition leader Jaya Lalitha is against the dredging, citing environmental and socio-economic reasons. The initial dredging cost of the canal is $440 million. The Indian Government must foot the total cost. Annual maintenance dredging is another factor, according to Chief Executive officer of Lanka Hydraulic Institute (LHI), Malith Mendis. Mendis is a civil engineer and has represented Sri Lanka in negotiations on the matter with India. LHI was the main consultant for the Maldives Sea Level Rise Project and has successfully handled sea erosion management projects in Brunei and other parts of the world. The canal, begun arbitrally in December 2006 and scheduled to end 2008, must cover 260 kilometres with a depth of 12m. Thirty five per cent of the job was complete when work was halted.
New Delhi’s aim of dredging the Indian side of the sea which boarders the two nations is to provide a marine pathway. Mendis pointed out that the Palk Strait in some places is a mere three to ten metres deep.
At present Indian ships circumvent Sri Lanka from east to west and visa versa. The proposed canal will save 424 nautical miles (780 K) and upto 30 hours sailing. But Indian experts say that ship collisions will result unless controlled, one-way sailing is observed.
Mendis said that the recent link across Oresund looping Denmark and Sweden was jointly undertaken by the two nations conforming to international law and all studies were shared. Mendis had visited the Oresund Link and was touched by the reciprocity of the two nations which had resulted in “zero environmental impact” from the project.
Mendis said that the canal will increase water exchange across Adam’s bridge affecting the economy of the region. LHI says that studies are necessary on baseline and model calculations to reach a zero solution and many other factors.
India’s other aims
The Colombo Port is a strategic advantage over Indian ports, while Sri Lanka has not had the political will to fulfil its dream of being a shipping hub of the region. India’s Sagaramala project of developing ports and attracting larger shipping lines and also the Sethusamudram canal are pointers to Delhi’s intentions. Feeder vessels could bypass Colombo and dock in Indian ports if the Sethusamudram canal is in place; only six could travel in a day. Mendis also thinks that Delhi has military reasons for when Indian and Sri Lankan delegates sat for discussions, an Indian military man was also present. India views a large part of the Indian Ocean as its security envelope, from Socatra Island in Yemen in the West to the Andaman Islands in the East from the Himalayas in the North to Diego Garcia in the South. Delhi sees the shallow Palk Strait as a stumbling block of gaining control of the region and controlling the LTTE. India is developing nuclear reactors and power plants in its South and plans to strengthen its navy’s mobility to protect such interests.
A measure of the fear of the bullying big brother is the high-handed piracy of Indian fishing vessels since 2002 trawling in Sri Lankan waters of this area without naval intervention.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
by Elmo Leonard
(May 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Indian Supreme Court is dragging its feet on the controversial Sethusamudram Canal, abruptly halted by a court injunction on the insistence of Hindu nationalists. The canal, if completed will bear on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, her economics and create environmental hazards and other dire consequences in the short and long term.
The building of the canal, a deepening of the water-bound continental shelf, was opposed from inception by international authorities of all relevant disciplines. The United Nations Law of the Sea states that in the building of such canals, the two nations be partners in the venture. Besides harming Sri Lanka’s interests of sovereignty and peaceful existence; the fisheries authorities and fisher folk of both nations are unhappy for it will freeze the hand of nature. Sri Lanka’s fisheries experts have said that the Gulf of Mannar which is part of the Indo-Pacific region is one of the world’s richest marine biological resources with 3,600 species of plant and animal life. It is also the home of the dugong found only in similar Middle Eastern waters.
Insults Indian sentiments
The canal will flout Indian sentiment and Hindu religious significance for it will cut through the yet significant sea-submerged islands lying between the two nations. The Indians say that Adam’s Bridge, mentioned in the Ramayana existed over these now submerged islands, before the rise of the oceans over 7,000 years ago. Damage to the bridge is said to be an insult to the religious sentiments of millions of Indians. Lord Rama’s heritage including the holy city of Rameshwaram which remains an archeologist’s dream is in jeopardy.
To this effect, the Baratha Janatha Party (BJP) and the Vishva Hindu Parasad (VHP) have also protested in the Lok Sabha.
The Government of India affirms that India is a secular state and though it recognises religions, it does not abide by religious sentiments.
The DMK in Tamil Nadu led by Karunanidhi supports the canal project while Opposition leader Jaya Lalitha is against the dredging, citing environmental and socio-economic reasons. The initial dredging cost of the canal is $440 million. The Indian Government must foot the total cost. Annual maintenance dredging is another factor, according to Chief Executive officer of Lanka Hydraulic Institute (LHI), Malith Mendis. Mendis is a civil engineer and has represented Sri Lanka in negotiations on the matter with India. LHI was the main consultant for the Maldives Sea Level Rise Project and has successfully handled sea erosion management projects in Brunei and other parts of the world. The canal, begun arbitrally in December 2006 and scheduled to end 2008, must cover 260 kilometres with a depth of 12m. Thirty five per cent of the job was complete when work was halted.
New Delhi’s aim of dredging the Indian side of the sea which boarders the two nations is to provide a marine pathway. Mendis pointed out that the Palk Strait in some places is a mere three to ten metres deep.
At present Indian ships circumvent Sri Lanka from east to west and visa versa. The proposed canal will save 424 nautical miles (780 K) and upto 30 hours sailing. But Indian experts say that ship collisions will result unless controlled, one-way sailing is observed.
Mendis said that the recent link across Oresund looping Denmark and Sweden was jointly undertaken by the two nations conforming to international law and all studies were shared. Mendis had visited the Oresund Link and was touched by the reciprocity of the two nations which had resulted in “zero environmental impact” from the project.
Mendis said that the canal will increase water exchange across Adam’s bridge affecting the economy of the region. LHI says that studies are necessary on baseline and model calculations to reach a zero solution and many other factors.
India’s other aims
The Colombo Port is a strategic advantage over Indian ports, while Sri Lanka has not had the political will to fulfil its dream of being a shipping hub of the region. India’s Sagaramala project of developing ports and attracting larger shipping lines and also the Sethusamudram canal are pointers to Delhi’s intentions. Feeder vessels could bypass Colombo and dock in Indian ports if the Sethusamudram canal is in place; only six could travel in a day. Mendis also thinks that Delhi has military reasons for when Indian and Sri Lankan delegates sat for discussions, an Indian military man was also present. India views a large part of the Indian Ocean as its security envelope, from Socatra Island in Yemen in the West to the Andaman Islands in the East from the Himalayas in the North to Diego Garcia in the South. Delhi sees the shallow Palk Strait as a stumbling block of gaining control of the region and controlling the LTTE. India is developing nuclear reactors and power plants in its South and plans to strengthen its navy’s mobility to protect such interests.
A measure of the fear of the bullying big brother is the high-handed piracy of Indian fishing vessels since 2002 trawling in Sri Lankan waters of this area without naval intervention.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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