Strategic and maritime implications When several alternative routes that do not destroy the very ancient monument of Ram Sethu are available, why was an alignment arbitrarily decided upon, which cuts across the Ram Sethu, ignoring the views expressed by environmentalists, seismologists, oceanographers and concerns of people living along the coastline? Was the Indian Navy consulted on geostrategic maritime implications (of sea-lanes between Straits of Hormuz - Persian Gulf - and Straits of Malacca - Singapore-close to Diego Garcia and the Trincomalee base with very low-frequency radio waves to monitor submarine movements), before the project was inaugurated? Why destroy a barrier which had, in fact, saved the coastline of Bharat during the last tsunami? Why not use the opportunity to re-assert India%u2019s geo-strategic responsibility in guarding the sealanes? (See Annex 4)
I look forward to an opportunity to discuss with you on this important matter, before raising the issue in Parliament for a detailed discussion and if necessary, demanding the constitution of a Parliamentary Enquiry Committee.
Views of Prof. Tad S. Murthy Prof. Murthy says: %u201CDuring the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, the very southern part of Kerala was generally spared from a major tsunami, mainly because the tsunami waves from Sumatra region travelling south of the Sri Lankan Island, partially diffracted northward and affected the central part of the Kerala coast. Since tsunami is a long gravity wave (similar to tides and storm surges) during the diffraction process, the rather wide turn it has to take spared south Kerala coast. On the other hand, deepening the Sethu Canal might provide a more direct route for the tsunami and this could impact south Kerala. In late 2005 I had a face-to-face discussion in Chennai during a very cordial meeting with Shri Raghupathy (I do not know his exact title, but he is the head of the project, to the best of my knowledge) during which I raised this point. I requested him to consider slightly re-orienting the entrance of the Sethu canal on the Bay of Bengal side, so that in future tsunami events, tsunami energy will not be preferentially funnelled into the Sethu canal. Shri Raghupathy assured me that he will look into this matter. When a senior IAS officer like Shri Raghupathy says something, I beleive him and I have no further concerns on this matter.%u201D
Prof. Murthy had also noted: %u201C(This view of TPT that no re-alignment is necessary) I absolutely disagree with. I have analysed the problem to my complete satisfaction.%u201D He cited the example of the Alberni canal on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.%u201DThe Sethusamudram canal has many characteristics similar to the Alberni canal, and this is the reason I am concerned. In the March 28, 1964, Alaska earthquake tsunami, outside of Alaska the largest tsunami amplitude was at the head of the Alberni canal well inland and not at the open coast as everyone expected. Later, I explained this was due to (a phenomenon known as) quarter wave resonance amplification%u201D.
%u2022 NEERI (environment) and NIOT (sea-depth or bathymetry) reviews did NOT take into account the impact of tsunami, which happened on December 26, 2006, two years after NEERI evaluation. It should be noted that the tsunami has radically altered the bathymetry (sea-depth) of the region. The core samples should be subjected to detailed geological analysis for possible nuclear and other mineral content.
Implications for nation%u2019s nuclear programme and under-sea mineral resource mapping Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) website notes: %u201CThe currently known Indian thorium reserves amount to 358,000 GWe-yr of electrical energy and can easily meet the energy requirements during the next century and beyond. U-233/Th-232 based breeder reactors are under development and would serve as the mainstay of the final thorium utilisation stage of the Indian nuclear programme.%u201D (www.barc.ernet.in)
A team of scientists led by Dr V.J. Loveson of the Council for Industrial and Scientific Research (CISR) New Delhi, studying placer deposits in the area, note that an estimated 40 million tonnes of Titanium alone has been deposited in the entire stretch of 500 kilometer coastline. Tsunami of December 2004 has changed bathymetry (sea-depth) of the region. Thus, all alignments related to SSCP should be subjected to a fresh re-evaluation with particular reference to the mineral resources which are the mainstay of India%u2019s nuclear programme.
Close to Ram Sethu, natural radioactivity from the black thorium sands of Kerala (India) is accelerating the DNA mutation rate in the local population. Most of these new mutations have hit the same DNA positions that have mutated naturally in at least the past 60,000 years of human evolution.
Strategic implications of SSCP The following US Navy operational directive distinguishing international and historic waters may be noted: Aug 76 Act No. 80 enables government to declare waters as historic. Jun 79 Law No. 41; Waters of Palk Bay between coast and boundary with Sri Lanka claimed as internal waters; waters of Gulf of Mannar between coast and maritime boundary claimed as historic waters. This claim is not recognised by the United States. U.S. conducted operational assertions in 1993 and 1994 to Gulf of Mannar claim in 1999.
It needs to be underscored that India should assert its strategic responsibility in providing security in these historic waters for sea-faring vessels, maritime traders apart from the protection of the environmental wealth of coral reefs and algae (ayurvedic herbals also contributing to photosynthesis of oxygen cycle) which provide for livelihood of millions of coastal people. The Sethusamudram Project, envisages that ships upto a maximum of 32,000 Dead Weight Tonnes (DWT) only would be able to pass through the canal. However, the bulk of the vessels using the International Shipping routes, East- and West-bound, from South of Sri Lanka, are of higher DWT and will thus not traverse through the SSCP. If that be the case, one wonders at the economic viability of the SSCP in its totality. Is it, therefore, a project meant only for the coal-carrying vessels from Haldia/Paradip/Visakhapatnam to Tuiticorin or the Feeder Container Vessels that ply between our ports and Colombo? Another aspect that I would like to invite your attention, relates to the construction of the %u2018dredged canal%u2019. As the sides of the canal cannot be lined or protected by any artificial wall, a strong tidal wave is enough to level the canal. May I query, what then happens to the Rs 2,000 crore capital spent on dredging? Further, I am given to understand that it will be almost impossible for the dredgers to operate between the months of October to December because of the cyclonic season, strong winds and tidal waves. It will be more a battle against the forces of Mother Nature in that period rather than maintenance of the canal.%u201D
