The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it does not accept the prime minister-appointed R K Pachauri panel report and instead wants to pursue the Sethusamudram project which is said to run through the mythological Ram Sethu.
“The project has economic, navigational and strategic advantages and therefore, the government has been pursuing the project. An expenditure of Rs 829.32 crore has already incurred on the project as on June 30, 2012,” the Shipping Ministry said in an affidavit.
It said that the government has approved and commenced the project on “well researched technical studies” after getting the necessary environmental clearance.
The Sethusamudram project, wroth Rs 2,087 crore, was aimed at constructing a shorter navigational route around India’s southern tip by breaching the mythological Rama Sethu, built by Lord Rama’s army of monkeys and beers to the demon king Ravana’s kingdom Lanka.
The committee headed by eminent environmentalist Pachauri claimed that an alternative route to the east of Dhanushkodi suggested to protect Ram Sethu was not an acceptable option and could rather pose ecological threat. The panel has found the project as “non-viable” both from economic as well as ecological terms.
Rejecting the panel’s finding, the government said, “the project was found feasible, both economically and ecologically by NEERI (in the year 2004) and the project consultant L & T–Ramboll Consulting Engineers Ltd in 2007.”
The apex court had on July 23, 2008 suggested for an alternative alignment for Sethusamudram Ship Canal project.
The government set up the Pachauri Committee on July 29 to find out the feasibility of the project referred to as alignment No 4A.
The committee said, it appears questionable if alignment No 4A represents an attractive or even acceptable option.