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Sethu: Hindu Munnani moves court

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Hindu Munnani has moved the Madras High Court to forbear the Centre from "demolishing the Ramar Palam" for the Sethusamudram Canal Project.

The petition, filed by Munnani's founder-president Rama Gopalan, said it was not against the project. "My only concern is that under the guise of the project, the Ramar Palam, which is otherwise known as Adams Bridge, shall not, in any way, be damaged or tampered with or demolished."

Of the proposed 167-km length of the Sethusamudram canal, only 3 km would be the relevant portion of Ramar Palam, he said. The canal could be formed without disturbing the structure if the Centre were to follow Alignment 6, which was the shortest and economically most viable. It would not affect thorium deposit in the region.

Mr. Rama Gopalan said the Centre and its authorities were bound to protect the ancient monument since it had cultural and heritage value. Claiming that the Ramar Palam connected Dhanushkodi in India to Thalai Mannar in Sri Lanka, the petitioner said records of the Tamil Nadu Government too conceded that such a bridge existed. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.

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