Ecological consequences of canal projects in Ram Sethu area

Margashirsha Krushna Dwadashi, Kaliyug Varsha 5111

By Dr S Kalyanaraman

A multi-disciplinary team of experts should be constituted immediately, by the Union of India to study the warnings of another tsunami which will devastate the nation’s coastline and lives and property of coastal people and establish Disaster Management Zones all along the vulnerable coastline with structures like tsunami-protection walls.

The national heritage protection movement is also an environmental protection movement.

The national movement for the protection of Ram Sethu as a world heritage monument gained momentum and support from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), a premier oceanography institution of India. Environmentalists who have been fighting for the conservation of the marine biosphere of Sethusamudram should congratulate NIO scientists for highlighting their unbiased scientific conclusions.

On November 4, 2009, the Supreme Court of India has asked the Centre to file a proper report on the Sethusamudram Ship Canal project within four weeks. Environmentalists of the world owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Subramanian Swamy who has spearheaded the case for protection of the environmental and heritage monument of Ram Sethu which is sacred ecology for millions of world citizens.

Background

On July 30, 2008, acting on the apex court’s guidance, the Central Government had constituted a high-powered committee under the Chairmanship of R K Pachauri to review the possibility of an alternative alignment for Sethu canal, running on land north of Dhanushkodi to avoid an ecological disaster by avoiding demolition of or damage to the historic, sacred and world heritage monument of Ram Sethu.

Pachauri panel referred the question of feasibility to the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.

Ecological consequences of a shipping canal in Sethusamudram

NIO submitted its report in March 2009. The report warns of disastrous consequences for India if the Sethu canal project is taken forward.

NIO examined the feasibilty of a channel across Dhanushkodi land with reference to :

1. Stability of the channel and its surroundings under the impact of seasonal cycle of sediment transport and under the impact of cyclones;

2. Impact on the environment of the biosphere reserve due to changes brought about (such as regime of sedimentary processes) due to the construction and operation of the channel with the Dhanushkodi land alignment; and

3. Impact on the environment of the biosphere reserve due to accidental oil spill in the channel when it is operational."

Principal conclusions of the NIO report

A full fledged Environmental Impact Analysis is recommended to be carried out "to enable robust conclusions."

Meagre information on ecological indicators

The data available in the region of interest are "meagre". The observations are, in general, restricted to the vicinity of Tuticorin, which is too far from Adam’s Bridge for the measurements made there to be useful for evaluating this project. The only data available in the vicinity of Adam’s Bridge are from three current-meter measurements just southeast of Dhanushkodi (in the Gulf of Mannar) for about 48 hours each during August 1997, December 1997, and March 1998. "Hence no serious inference can be drawn from a data record this short, and therefore we make no attempt to interpret these data".

Hydrodynamic simulation model

The available data are "clearly inadequate for an assessment of the possible impact of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project." Hence all that could be validly attempted was a simulation model to examine the consequences of a change in the alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project.The model results show that there is no major difference between the two alignments,

1. Dhanushkodi land alignment and 2. Alignment in the ocean across Ram Sethu with respect to hydrodynamics or sediment transportation. The one difference noted which seems minor, between the two alignments is that Dhanushkodi land alignment cuts across a spit and thereby disturbs the natural sediment dynamics of the spit. This would lead to increased sediment deposition in the channel and the need for increased dredging, and also erosion of the spit to the east of the channel.

Impact on marine biota in the Marine Biosphere Reserve

Given the paucity of data, it is difficult to make a conclusive statement on whether Dhanushkodi land alignment would cause more damage to the marine biota in the reserve.

The impact of an oil spill in the channel on the Marine Biosphere Reserve has not been studied in the absence of data.

Impact of cyclones of the region

The cyclone of 1964 wiped out Dhanushkodi town. The model studies reported here have not been repeated for such cyclones, but the consequences for the channel (irrespective of alignment) will obviously be more serious. While it is likely that the damage will be more in the case of Dhanushkodi land alignment, with the stability of the spit being a serious concern, it is likely that the potential damage in all other respects, is likely to be the same for both alignments.

Impact of tectonics of the region

"There is a fault running parallel to the coastline. During February 1948 to January 1949, tectonic events led to the submergence of part of Dhanushkodi town. What is the potential impact of similar tectonic events on the Sethusamudram Canal? An answer to this question, though beyond the scope of this report, is clearly needed to estimate the impact and viability of this project."

Beyond these valid observations of NIO, there is an imminent danger of another devastating tsunami given the fragile nature of the plate tectonics near the Sunda plate (near Aceh, Indonesia) close to the Indian Ocean.

Impact of tsunamis of the region

Example of tsunami-protection wall in Japan.

A multi-disciplinary team of experts should be constituted immediately, by the Union of India to study the warnings of another tsunami which will devastate the nation’s coastline and lives and property of coastal people and establish Disaster Management Zones all along the vulnerable coastline with structures like tsunami-protection walls constructed in Japan. See http://www.unisdr.org/ppew/tsunami/what-is-tsunami/backinfor-brief.htm

Next tsunami

Sacred traditions help us remember the sacredness of the earth of which we are only trustees of the present and future generations. We do NOT have the right to destroy this sacred ecology and deny future generations, the privilege of worshipping sacred sites and remembering the ancestors who have given the humanity its very identity.

Indian Ocean Rim states impacted by the tsunami of December 26, 2004.

(http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/propagation-database.html)

The next tsunami is likely to impact the same Indian Ocean region – a lesson learnt from history.

List and locations of catastrophic tsunamis of Indian Ocean

What the scientists tell us about earthquakes and tsunamis should make us pause and ponder.

The 9.0 earthquake of December 26, 2004 at 6.58 hours with the epicenter in Sri Lanka led to a sequence of 15 quakes across the Andaman region. While earthquakes could not be predicted in advance, once the earthquake is detected it is possible to give about 3 hours of notice of a potential tsunami. Such a system of warnings is in place across the Pacific Ocean but is only being put in place in the Indian Ocean; this needs further cooperation among the nations of the Indian Ocean community.

Nature magazine reports: "Tens of millions of people along the heavily populated coasts of Myanmar, Bangladesh and West Bengal could be living under threat of a tsunami as massive as the one that devastated the Sumatran coast in 2004, according to a report to be released by Nature. The report claims that while the 2004 disaster took the scientific community by surprise many of the same warning signs currently exist in the Bay of Bengal."

When the plate boundaries abruptly deform and vertically displace the overlying water, a tsunami occurs. A tsunami travels very fast as ocean waves, about 800 km/h, or 0.2 km/sec for a water depth of 5000 m. Seismic waves are faster and cause enormous upheavals on the earth’s crust and ocean-beds. Oceans are the treasure of humanity and it is our responsibility to harness the treasure in a sustainable manner through well-regulated Marine Economic Zones which have the potential to make the Indian Ocean Community a veritable powerhouse to create wealth of nations, while providing new livelihood opportunities to over 2 billion people on the globe.

In addition to the views of NIO in relation to the ecosphere, it is necessary to review mariners’ perspectives since a canal is a navigational solution.

A mid-ocean canal constitutes a nautical hazard of immense proportions in a complex, fragile, sacred oceansphere called Setusamudram. It is apposite to quote the views of a nautical expert, Capt. Balakrishnan: "These impediments also have the potential to develop into hazardous situations for ships at sea… In the Palk Bay/Palk Straits/Gulf of Mannar area, the wind is of a swirling nature, and at the same time, on account of the ‘Venturi effect’, caused by the geography of the area, the wind velocity tends to be high… However, if the winds were to blow across the axis of the channel, the ships, navigating through the channel are subjected to ‘drift’ away from their courses steered. The larger the ships cross-section offered to the wind, the greater and more rapid will be the drift. The, probability of this happening is borne out by the above referred table in the ‘Bay of Bengal Pilot’…

"Many of the fishing vessels, specially the small country boats, fail to display lights at night. They spread their nets and keep it afloat with small thermocole floats. Because of their small size, they are difficult to be sighted visually, and are not radar reflective. Thus they constitute a clear and present danger to shipping. In the unfortunate event of a ship running over these nets, they get cut and coil around the propellor shaft, warranting "emergency procedures", on board the vessel. In a channel like the SSCP, it’s a positively hazardous situation for the vessel.

"With shallow waters (less than 10 metres) prevailing outside the ‘dredged channel’, this drift could turn hazardous for a large vessel. The only method to counter this drift is to increase speed. But the adverse effects of the "Shallow Water or Squat Effect" precludes the increase in speed. If ships were to deploy tugs to counter the drift, then the ‘speed made good’ through the SSCP reduces. This leads to an increase in time taken to navigate through the SSCP and thus an increase in the overall voyage time. Fuel consumption for the voyage increases as also the voyage fuel costs, thus reducing the savings in fuel costs…

Proximity to Land

The SSCP is an "open channel" unlike the Suez and Panama Canals. For a large vessel, like a 30,000 DWT bulk carrier, approaching within 10 nautical miles of land is not considered prudent navigation when on passage. Yet, in the case of the "New Alignment", the vessel approaches within 3.5 nautical miles of the "Kodandaramaswami Temple", and less than 5.0 nautical miles off "Devil’s Point". Large vessels proceeding at slow speeds, as is warranted in the SSCP, are extremely tardy in their response to engine and helm orders. Thus, navigating in close proximity of land with slow responses, and in conditions of cross wind, could risk vessel safety. This possibility cannot be ruled out. Comment from the standpoint of navigational safety, the area of location of the SSCP, is a cause for disquiet. Viewed against this backdrop, one is left wondering, whether a shipping channel is meant to cater to the needs of shipping in its entirety or whether the shipping is meant to cater to the needs of the channel… My research into the SSCP, from a shipping perspective, has clearly reveled that the "SSCP just does not make any nautical sense". Time is at hand to cease thinking about sending ships in ‘Harm’s way’-‘The SSCP way’.

True alternatives to Sethu canal

1. Declaration of Marine Economic Zones all along the long coastline of India to provide for new opportunities to harness the Indian ocean resources upto 200 kms. from the coastline and to provide new employment opportunities to 20 crore people who live close to the coastline. The UN recognised Special Economic Zones should be the framework for creating the Marine Economic Zones with the privileges provided for SEZs. This should be complemented by the settling up of Marine cooperatives all along the coastline to provide for new life-opportunities for the coastal people.

2. Look upon the Sethu canal idea as a transport system problem. A canal in the middle of the ocean does not make nautical sense. In fact, as NIO has observed, it will be a nautical disaster. The solutions to the transport system problem are:

a. expansion of Cochin port as a Container port of international standard; b. creation of Vizhinjam as an international standard container port using the deep sea harbour there; c. port-rail-road freight corridors linking the western and eastern ports and the hinterland of the nation to ensure promotion of shipping-rail-road coordination and efficient, effective delivery of transported goods; d. explore in consultation with Sri Lanka the possibility of rail-road links, across Setusamudram, between Colombo, Jaffna and Madurai/Chennai as part of the Trans-Asian Highway/Railway Network sponsored by the erstwhile ECAFE (UN Economic and Social Council); e. Promotion of eco-tourism and coordinated steps by both India and Sri Lanka to protect the ecologically fragile biosphere of the Setusamudram which is also sacred ecology; f. Recommend measures to protect the entire coastline close to Setusamudram in case of another tsunami (which has been declared by scientists as an imminent and present danger given the fragility of the Sunda plates close to a tectonically active area of the Indian ocean).

Setusamudram, the world’s fragile Marine Biosphere be declared as a World Heritage Monument given the unique nature of the ecosphere in this ocean zone-an ecosphere unparalleled in the entire globe.

(The writer is national president of Rameshwaram Rama Sethu Protection Movement and can be contacted at [email protected])

Source: Organiser.org

Also See

	Save temples from Anti-Hindus Temples are the centres of Hindu Dharma. Anti Hindu forces like Muslims, Congress, Christians has constantly targetted them. HJS is fighting against these forces. Read more
	Anti faith bill Maharashtra (India) government is about to pass an anti hindu bill. This draconian law that allows govt. to arrest without bail and initiate criminal proceedings against devotees and saints. Read more