The Hindu : Front Page : Sethu project in rough sea

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 09, 2005

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Sethu project in rough sea

S. Vijay Kumar

DAMAGE CONTROL: Fishermen being bundled into a police van after they staged a rail roko in Ramanathapuram on Friday.

MADURAI: At least 1,000 fishermen, including 700 women, were arrested on Friday when they resorted to a rail roko at Ramanathapuram railway station in protest against implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project.

The police prevented a large number of fishermen from Rameswaram and other coastal areas from reaching the venue of the agitation. The Ramanathapuram Fishermen Trade Union had called the agitation.

Fishermen associations, non-governmental organisations and environmentalists expressed concern that the Sethu project would "destroy" the biological and ecological balance of Gulf of Mannar and other islands in the region that has been declared a National Marine Park. Besides obtaining a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment report, the project should also have a no objection certificate from the State Government. The interests of traditional fishing community should be protected, they said.

"The SSCP will cause irreparable damage to the marine ecology and shatter the livelihood of thousands of traditional fishermen along the coast. Dredging near Adam's Bridge will not be possible due to frequent sand erosion," the Country boat Operators' Association president, S.P. Rayappan, said.

Stir in deep waters

Members of the `Movement Against SSCP' said they would intensify the agitation by staging demonstrations on the day of commencement of dredging works. "If they go ahead with the project, we will send "warrior ships" in association with the Greenpeace movement to prevent dredging," one of the convenors said, adding the activists would support the Sri Lankan Government's plan to move the International Court against the SSCP.

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