03-22-2007, 07:59 AM
'Stop Setu Samudram project'
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, March 21: Swami Nischilananda Saraswati, the sankaracharya of Puri Gobardhan Peeth, has called upon sants and sankaracharyas to voice protest against the proposed Setu Samudram Shipping Canal Project which, according to him, will destroy the historic bridge to Sri Lanka.
Addressing a Press conference here today, the Puri seer dismissed all talk of only clearing the sand and that the dredging would not effect the ancient bridge which enabled Lord Ram to cross attack Lanka.
On 4 April, all Hindu organisations will meet at Raipur to deliberate on the future course of action against such a disastrous project and again on 8 April, a meeting will take place in New Delhi, he added.
The Sankaracharyas will all meet on 18 May in Bangalore and finalise the action plan, he said. He suspected that India was undertaking the project at the behest of the USA, which wants clear and free access in the water ways. Wondering why political parties, particularly the BJP, was not raising its voice on this issue in Parliament, Sankaracharya said he had met Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and drawn his attention to it.
The Puri seer also said that he had met President APJ Abdul Kalam and expressed his concern over the project adding that Rameswaram, from where the project work began, happened to be dear to the President.
He lambasted the kind of pseudo secularism being professed in the country where anything that goes against the majority community and its feelings is ignored.
"Would any government dare take up such a project if it were linked to feelings or sentiments of the minorities," he questioned.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...ess=1&id=150555
Project status till 20 March 2007
82.57% Palk Bay I Dredged Quantity - 11187796 cum till 20/3/2007
1.42% Adam's Bridge Dredged Quantity - 683982 cum till 20/3/2007
Palk Bay II Work not started http://sethusamudram.gov.in/Projectstatus.asp
Govt assures Hindu acharyas about Sethu project
OINEETOM OJAH
Posted online: Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 0000 hours IST
NEW DELHI, MAR 21: Faced with both religious and environmental protests, the government has assured Hindu acharyas that utmost care will be taken of the Adam's Bridge or Ram setu and the National Marine Park in the Gulf of Mannar while undertaking dredging and construction work for the Rs 2,400 crore Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project.
A case against the government for alleged violation of environmental impact assessment mandatory for such projects is already lying with the Supreme Court.
Minister for shipping, road transport and highways TR Baalu and minister of state for personnel Suresh Pachauri told a delegation of Hindu leaders led by Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati, secretary, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha that without prejudice to the on-going legal proceedings on the issue, due regard will be accorded to the socio-cultural sentiments of the Hindu society.
Both ministers said meetings with acharyas would be held frequently to discuss various aspects of the project, with special reference to the Adam's Bridge . Under no circumstance, the government will disrespect or disregard the religious sentiments of the people in implementing this project. They also offered the delegation a site visit along with project authorities, for a first-hand assessment of the work being implemented.
Baalu said detailed investigations, including borehole studies and other geological studies undertaken by the specialist agencies, have clearly stated the Adam's Bridge is a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation over a period of time. He also informed that the present alignment has been finalised after detailed deliberations and taking into consideration the location of existing temples in and around Rameshwaram as well as the National Marine Park.
The Sethusamudram project envisages the creation of an offshore navigation channel of nearly 167 km. It will have two legs of 54-km dredged channel in the Palk Strait off Point Calimere in the north and 35 km of dredged channel in the Adam's Bridge area.
The Dredging Corporation of India has already begun work around the Adam's Bridge and is expected to complete the project before 2008. Once completed, the channel is expected to save up to 424 nautical miles (780 km) and up to 30 hours of sailing time for ships between east and west coast. It will also facilitate ship movement between India and Sri Lanka. The width of the channel at seabed level has been proposed at 300 metres to provide for two-way navigation in the channel.
Various Hindu groups have already started protesting against the likely razing of the Adam's Bridge and Hindu outfits like Vishwa Hindu Parishad has threatened countrywide protests, if the route of the channel is not altered and the Adam's Bridge is left untouched. Puri's Shankaracharya Swaroopanand has already called on President APJ Abdul Kalam and requested him to intervene and save the ancient bridge.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_st...ntent_id=158575
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, March 21: Swami Nischilananda Saraswati, the sankaracharya of Puri Gobardhan Peeth, has called upon sants and sankaracharyas to voice protest against the proposed Setu Samudram Shipping Canal Project which, according to him, will destroy the historic bridge to Sri Lanka.
Addressing a Press conference here today, the Puri seer dismissed all talk of only clearing the sand and that the dredging would not effect the ancient bridge which enabled Lord Ram to cross attack Lanka.
On 4 April, all Hindu organisations will meet at Raipur to deliberate on the future course of action against such a disastrous project and again on 8 April, a meeting will take place in New Delhi, he added.
The Sankaracharyas will all meet on 18 May in Bangalore and finalise the action plan, he said. He suspected that India was undertaking the project at the behest of the USA, which wants clear and free access in the water ways. Wondering why political parties, particularly the BJP, was not raising its voice on this issue in Parliament, Sankaracharya said he had met Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and drawn his attention to it.
The Puri seer also said that he had met President APJ Abdul Kalam and expressed his concern over the project adding that Rameswaram, from where the project work began, happened to be dear to the President.
He lambasted the kind of pseudo secularism being professed in the country where anything that goes against the majority community and its feelings is ignored.
"Would any government dare take up such a project if it were linked to feelings or sentiments of the minorities," he questioned.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...ess=1&id=150555
Project status till 20 March 2007
82.57% Palk Bay I Dredged Quantity - 11187796 cum till 20/3/2007
1.42% Adam's Bridge Dredged Quantity - 683982 cum till 20/3/2007
Palk Bay II Work not started http://sethusamudram.gov.in/Projectstatus.asp
Govt assures Hindu acharyas about Sethu project
OINEETOM OJAH
Posted online: Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 0000 hours IST
NEW DELHI, MAR 21: Faced with both religious and environmental protests, the government has assured Hindu acharyas that utmost care will be taken of the Adam's Bridge or Ram setu and the National Marine Park in the Gulf of Mannar while undertaking dredging and construction work for the Rs 2,400 crore Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project.
A case against the government for alleged violation of environmental impact assessment mandatory for such projects is already lying with the Supreme Court.
Minister for shipping, road transport and highways TR Baalu and minister of state for personnel Suresh Pachauri told a delegation of Hindu leaders led by Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati, secretary, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha that without prejudice to the on-going legal proceedings on the issue, due regard will be accorded to the socio-cultural sentiments of the Hindu society.
Both ministers said meetings with acharyas would be held frequently to discuss various aspects of the project, with special reference to the Adam's Bridge . Under no circumstance, the government will disrespect or disregard the religious sentiments of the people in implementing this project. They also offered the delegation a site visit along with project authorities, for a first-hand assessment of the work being implemented.
Baalu said detailed investigations, including borehole studies and other geological studies undertaken by the specialist agencies, have clearly stated the Adam's Bridge is a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation over a period of time. He also informed that the present alignment has been finalised after detailed deliberations and taking into consideration the location of existing temples in and around Rameshwaram as well as the National Marine Park.
The Sethusamudram project envisages the creation of an offshore navigation channel of nearly 167 km. It will have two legs of 54-km dredged channel in the Palk Strait off Point Calimere in the north and 35 km of dredged channel in the Adam's Bridge area.
The Dredging Corporation of India has already begun work around the Adam's Bridge and is expected to complete the project before 2008. Once completed, the channel is expected to save up to 424 nautical miles (780 km) and up to 30 hours of sailing time for ships between east and west coast. It will also facilitate ship movement between India and Sri Lanka. The width of the channel at seabed level has been proposed at 300 metres to provide for two-way navigation in the channel.
Various Hindu groups have already started protesting against the likely razing of the Adam's Bridge and Hindu outfits like Vishwa Hindu Parishad has threatened countrywide protests, if the route of the channel is not altered and the Adam's Bridge is left untouched. Puri's Shankaracharya Swaroopanand has already called on President APJ Abdul Kalam and requested him to intervene and save the ancient bridge.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_st...ntent_id=158575