Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Lanka not consulted on India’s ship canal project
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
By Damitha Hemachandra
Environmentalists yesterday questioned the failure of the Indian Government to consult the Sri Lankan Government on the proposed ship canal while claiming that the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of Nagpur has not considered the UN Law of the Sea Convention of 1982 when preparing its report.
Meanwhile TNA Jaffna representative, M. Senadhiraja said already a committee of specialists has been constituted to investigate the adverse effects of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) on the Jaffna peninsula and the Gulf of Mannar.
"If their report indicates any negative environmental impacts we would take up the matter with the Indian and Sri Lankan governments," he said.
The Rs. 50 billion SSCP is reportedly triggering a conflict in the Indian Cabinet between Environment Minister A. Raja and Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu. The Indian Environment Ministry listed environmental concerns over the project insisting that the SSCP should be carefully defined to ensure minimum environment impact in the Gulf of Mannar, prior to the project being taken to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. However Indian media reported that heavy lobbying from the Shipping Ministry led to the withdrawal of objections to the project by the Environment Ministry.
Minister Baalu had denied serious environmental implications arising from the project while denouncing the requirement for a special environment clearance.
Although NEERI, which completed the environmental impact report on the project last July had cited concerns over the canal's impact on the flora and fauna of wildlife sanctuaries in and around the Mannar area, it had failed to address immediate issues like damage to the water balance in the Jaffna peninsula and heavy sea erosion. Environmentalists have raised fears that the heavy dredging through Rameswaram could disturb the water balance of the Jaffna peninsula and threaten the fragile coastline of the Gulf of Mannar.
However Indian HC spokesperson Nagma Malik said it was too early to comment on the project while assuring that the Indian government would not go ahead with the project if it held a threat to the ecology of Sri Lanka.
By Damitha Hemachandra
Environmentalists yesterday questioned the failure of the Indian Government to consult the Sri Lankan Government on the proposed ship canal while claiming that the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of Nagpur has not considered the UN Law of the Sea Convention of 1982 when preparing its report.
Meanwhile TNA Jaffna representative, M. Senadhiraja said already a committee of specialists has been constituted to investigate the adverse effects of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) on the Jaffna peninsula and the Gulf of Mannar.
"If their report indicates any negative environmental impacts we would take up the matter with the Indian and Sri Lankan governments," he said.
The Rs. 50 billion SSCP is reportedly triggering a conflict in the Indian Cabinet between Environment Minister A. Raja and Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu. The Indian Environment Ministry listed environmental concerns over the project insisting that the SSCP should be carefully defined to ensure minimum environment impact in the Gulf of Mannar, prior to the project being taken to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. However Indian media reported that heavy lobbying from the Shipping Ministry led to the withdrawal of objections to the project by the Environment Ministry.
Minister Baalu had denied serious environmental implications arising from the project while denouncing the requirement for a special environment clearance.
Although NEERI, which completed the environmental impact report on the project last July had cited concerns over the canal's impact on the flora and fauna of wildlife sanctuaries in and around the Mannar area, it had failed to address immediate issues like damage to the water balance in the Jaffna peninsula and heavy sea erosion. Environmentalists have raised fears that the heavy dredging through Rameswaram could disturb the water balance of the Jaffna peninsula and threaten the fragile coastline of the Gulf of Mannar.
However Indian HC spokesperson Nagma Malik said it was too early to comment on the project while assuring that the Indian government would not go ahead with the project if it held a threat to the ecology of Sri Lanka.
