He said %uFFFDit was V P Goel, the Shipping Minister during the NDA period, who suggested the present alignment after analysing the pros and cons of various alignments.%uFFFD
'The then Union Minister for Minerals and Environment and Mines, Uma Bharati, also directed for a detailed test of the soil by drilling up to 700 ft in the Adam's Bridge area. Then it was said that there was no chance for change in the environment of sea-bed, soil and sea itself', Baalu said.
http://sethusamudram.gov.in/WhatisSethu.asp
After several studies, the government took a concrete step towards the execution of the project when Rs. 4.8 crore was allocated for a feasibility study of the Sethusamudram Ship channel Protect in the 2000-01 Union Budget ------------------- NASA debunks Ram sethu myth
