Saturday, September 11, 2004
Lanka to take up controversial project with India
Saturday, September 11, 2004
The Ministry of Environment is to request the Foreign Ministry to brief the Indian government on possible adverse effects the proposed Sethusamudram project could have on the Jaffna peninsular and the Gulf of Mannar.
Minister A.H.M. Fowzie speaking to the Daily Mirror said the Ministry was seeking ways to settle the matter with the Indian government amicably.
Commenting on the failure of the National Environment Engineering research Institute of Nagpur to consult Sri Lanka an important stakeholder of the project during the environment impact assessment (EIA), Minister Fowzie said that the Sri Lankan government would be informing the Indian government of the matter. " We are looking into ways of avoiding a diplomatic clash or an international lawsuit", he said.
According to Sri Lankan environmentalists the 50 billion rupee Sethusamudram project, which involves the development of a navigable channel from the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal through Palk bay, could threaten the fragile coastline of the Gulf of Mannar and disrupt the sensitive water balance in the Jaffna peninsular.
The Ministry of Environment is to request the Foreign Ministry to brief the Indian government on possible adverse effects the proposed Sethusamudram project could have on the Jaffna peninsular and the Gulf of Mannar.
Minister A.H.M. Fowzie speaking to the Daily Mirror said the Ministry was seeking ways to settle the matter with the Indian government amicably.
Commenting on the failure of the National Environment Engineering research Institute of Nagpur to consult Sri Lanka an important stakeholder of the project during the environment impact assessment (EIA), Minister Fowzie said that the Sri Lankan government would be informing the Indian government of the matter. " We are looking into ways of avoiding a diplomatic clash or an international lawsuit", he said.
According to Sri Lankan environmentalists the 50 billion rupee Sethusamudram project, which involves the development of a navigable channel from the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal through Palk bay, could threaten the fragile coastline of the Gulf of Mannar and disrupt the sensitive water balance in the Jaffna peninsular.
