File photo of former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy after a hearing regarding his Ram Setu petition, outside the Supreme Court premises, in New Delhi. , Photo Credit: PTI
heyOn November 10, the Supreme Court gave the Center four weeks to file its response clarifying its stand on former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking national heritage status for ‘Ram Setu’.
While the story of the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP) can be traced back to the time of the British, who proposed building a channel to connect the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar, it was only in 2005 that the project was inaugurated went. Separating the shallow sea consisting of the Gulf of Mannar to the south and the Palk Bay to the north is a somewhat linear coral ridge known as Adam’s Bridge or Rama Setu. It runs between Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka. The SSCP, if completed, is expected to significantly reduce the navigation time between the east and west coasts of India.
concerns about the project
Although the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute ruled out any serious environmental risk and certified the feasibility of the project, concerns have been raised over the sustainability of the proposed channel and its environmental impact. Computer models suggest that the central, eastern and north-eastern parts of Palk Bay may be affected by high energy waves. This means that these areas also receive more sediment, making them more turbulent. The models also indicate that waves enter the gulf from its north and south, which is consistent with the channel’s alignment.
The region is also vulnerable to cyclonic storms. A cyclone in 1964 was so powerful that it wiped out the town of Dhanushkodi. Such storms can perturb the local sedimentary dynamics. Therefore finding a safe place to dump the dredged material without harming terrestrial or marine ecosystems is a major challenge. Emissions from ships passing through the narrow channel will pollute the air and water. And if a rogue ship carrying oil or coal were to land or lose its way within the canal, it could lead to an ecological disaster. While environmental groups are opposing the project for the heavy environmental cost, religious groups are opposing it because they believe the structure is of religious importance as mentioned in the Ramayana.
In 2003, a space-based investigation using satellite remote sensing imagery by researchers at the Space Applications Center in Ahmedabad concluded that the Ram Setu is not man-made, “but consists of a reef crest, 103 small rocks lying in a linear pattern along the sand.” patch reefs. cays and intermittent deep channels”. Cays, also known as keys, refer to low-elevation islands located on surfaces formed from coral reefs. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that The Rama Setu is a linear ridge made up of coral reefs and forms a shallow part of the sea that is constantly being affected by sedimentation processes. Like the Great Barrier Reef, the Rama Setu is also a continuous stretch of limestone shoals near Rameswaram. Runs from Pamban Island to Mannar Island on the northern coast of Sri Lanka.
The Indian coast, including parts of Sethusamudram, may have been uplifted from the water during a global glacial period that began about 2.6 million years ago and ended 11,700 years ago. The post-glacial period saw a steady rise in sea level around the world. Coral polyps may once again abound on newly submerged platforms. And over time, the platforms could have been used by migrants to cross oceans. The Ramayana mentions a well-known land bridge in this area; Believers consider it as a structure built by Lord Rama and his army to reach Lanka. This ridge may have been used as a migratory route in the distant past.
need for protection
The coral reef platforms between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram in the Gulf of Mannar were notified as a Marine Biosphere Reserve in 1989. More than 36,000 species of flora and fauna reportedly live there, surrounded by mangroves and sandy shores that are known to be favorable for turtles to nest. It is also a breeding ground for fishes, lobsters, prawns and crabs. Of the 600 recorded species of fish in the region, 70 are said to be commercially important. The area is already under threat from runoff from thermal plants, brine from salt pans, and illegal mining of corals. The SSCP, if it becomes a reality, will be the final blow to this sensitive environment and the livelihood of its people.
While considering the issue from a believer’s perspective, it is also important to consider the feature from a ‘geoheritage’ perspective. The geo-heritage paradigm is used in nature conservation to preserve the natural diversity of important geological features. It acknowledges the fact that geodiversity, which includes various landforms and representatives of dynamic natural processes, is under threat from human activities and needs protection. The natural heritage of a country includes its geological heritage. The value of abiotic factors such as geology, soil and landforms is also recognized for their role in supporting habitats for biodiversity. India’s ‘meeting with destiny’ does not begin in the Harappan or Vedic period; It goes back billions of years when the Indian tectonic plate moved thousands of kilometers south of the equator to its present location. Ram Setu bears the unique geological imprint of an eventful past. Therefore, it needs to be protected not only as a national heritage monument, but also as a geo-heritage structure defined from a scientific point of view.