Setusamudram What is Sethusamudram GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Palk Strait

Setusamudram

What is Sethusamudram?

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION • Palk Strait • Palk Bay • Adam’s Bridge • Gulf of Mannar

INAGURATION OF THE PROJECT 2 ND JULY, 2005 (MADURAI)

Project Details Features Two way channel Bottom Width of Channel = 300 m Depth of Channel = 12 m Permissible Draft of Vessel = 10 m Permissible Speed of Vessel in Channel = 8 Knots Navigation by day and night Over all length of Channel = 167 Km Dredged Channel at Adam’s Bridge = 35 Km Dredged Channel at Palk Strait = 54 Km Maximum Vessel Size Length = 215 m, Breadth = 33 m, Draft = 10 m

TOTAL DREDGING Segment length dredging Adam’s bridge 35 48 Palk bay 78 0 Palk strait 54 34. 5 Total 167 82. 5

DREDGING SEGMENT

Financial Aspect § A special purpose vehicle, Sethusamudram Corporation, has been set up with a debt-equity ratio of 1. 5: 1 for the Rs 24. 27 -bn project. § The remaining equity of Rs 2. 26 bn is to be raised through a public issue, with UTI Bank as facilitator. Agencies Equity( Rs. ) The Central government 4. 95 bn The Tuticorin Port Trust 500 mn Shipping Corporation of India 500 mn The Dredging Corporation of India 300 mn Chennai Port Trust 300 mn Ennore Port Ltd Visakhapatnam Port Trust Paradip Port Trust 300 mn

Advantages 1. Saving of upto 30 hours or 424 nautical miles 2. Considerable savings to vessels and earnings of foreign exchange. 3. Beneficial for naval defence 4. Increased economic activities like transportation, fishing and ancillary industries 5. Augmentation of external infrastructure like road/rail, water & water supply 6. A stable system with least maintenance cost

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The SSCP Gulf of mannar & local marine biodiversity Fisher folk families Srilanka Tamil nadu MOFE Vessel operators

About gulf of mannar Some features: • First marine Biosphere Reserve in South East Asia, a chain of 20 island • Home to 3, 600 rare Species of flora and fauna like fishes, coral reefs, sea horse, algae, marine plants • 2 nd highest marine biodiversity on earth • • Assessment not on the basis of USEPA but on a rapidly conducted EIA • Imbalance in O 2 - CO 2 ratio • Threat to Adam’s bridge Questions about turbidity, land slides, surface disposal unanswered

Environmental Aspect Some of the flora and fauna of this region

EFFECT ON FISHER FOLKS • Among the worst affected, more than one million families devoid of their only source of income • No concrete rehabilitation and employment plan arrived at • A meager budget ( 60 cr. approx. ) • The trauma of Orissa, Bhopal and tsunami still to be felt

ADVERSE EFFECT ON SRILANKA • Extinction of more than 700 fish verities • EIA Report prepared without any consultation • More susceptible to future cyclone and tsunamis • Disastrous effect on marine life, fisheries, virgin beaches in case of an accident • India’s secret military and nuclear agenda • Decreased importance of Colombo port (60% revenue reduction)

TAMILNADU…. . • Political parties playing hide and seek • SSCP may lead to large Influx of unemployment • Devastating effect on marine ecology and increased risk of tsunami and cyclone

ROLE OF MOFE 1. The EAI is a bunch of false claims ---- green peace 2. EAI a hastily completed report ignoring details and some times falsifying 3. Major point of misinformation Sedimentation dynamics Role of cyclone & landslides ignored Site identification for disposal 4. EAI not accordance with UN regulations 5. All the stakeholders not involved

Mixed fortune for ships 50% of the resultant saving for them on the fuel and chartering cost is going to go by way of increased tariff

THE YAKSHAPRASHNA • Whether to go for short term financial gains or long term ecological balance ? • Why is the entire process executed under carpets ? • Why not all the stakeholders were invited to express their views ? • Is the EAI report adequate and up to the mark ? • What is the exact impact on the fragile ecosystem ? • Should the ecological boundaries be treated the same way as territorial boundaries ? • Who will be answerable in case any thing goes awry ?

REFERENCES • • http: //www. flonnet. com/index. htm http: //sethusamudram. tamilar. org/2005/07/sethusamud ram-project-india-terms. html http: //www. climate. lk/sethu/docs/balac 001. html http: //www. tamilinfoservice. com/manitham/environmen t/sscp/ir 1. htm http: //www. hindu. com/2004/09/20/stories/2004092001 701000. htm http: //www. thehindubusinessline. com/2005/07/02/03 hd line. htm http: //envfor. nic. in/icrmn/dist/mannar. html http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Rama%27 s_Bridge

Thank you Presented by Nimish (24) and Deepak (61)