The coral formations hardly occur 1 m to 2.5 m in length and rest on loose marine sands. Most%u2026 seem to be rounded pebbles of corals. These things appear to point that these%u2026 have been transported and placed in these areas,%u201D the department%u2019s note says.
%u201CSince the calcareous sand stones and corals are less dense (and therefore lighter) than the normal hard rock and quite compact, probably these were used by (the) ancients to form a connecting link to Sri Lanka on the higher elevations of the Adam%u2019s Bridge ridge and this is analogous to (a) modern-day causeway.%u201D
The leaked report led to a ruckus in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday. The Opposition, including the BJP, demanded that the ridge be spared and chief minister M. Karunanidhi hit back with accusations of a %u201Cnorth Indian%u201D and %u201Cfundamentalist%u201D plot to derail the project.
The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project involves dredging the islets to deepen the Palk Strait and thus open a direct channel between India%u2019s west and east coasts. Currently, ships have to make a detour around Sri Lanka.
The 167-km channel, dubbed the %u201CSuez of the East%u201D, will shorten shipping routes by up to 424 nautical miles (780 km) and sailing time by 30 hours, saving fuel. India%u2019s import-export trade will save the Rs 1,000 crore a year it now spends in foreign exchange because of transhipment of cargo outside the country, through Colombo.
The Opposition ADMK, BJP and the Janata Party cited the %u201Cscientific opinion%u201D to buttress their case th
