Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

On the project

Instead of evaluating the Sethusamudram project on merit, politicians have made it a religious issue. The project is meant to help international marine vessels save some distance by reaching the Tuticorin port without circumventing Sri Lanka. As a result of this project, the natural seabed and marine species will be disturbed. There will be some impact on the coral reefs too. But whenever a development project is undertaken, there is bound to be some impact that cannot be avoided. It should therefore be evaluated on the basis of the economic benefits it can bring against the cost of its impact on the environment.

N. Prabakaran,

Chennai

There is a danger of the Sethusamudram debate being usurped by political parties while the real issues remain unheard. The project canal will link the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, which have the second highest biodiversity in the world. The dredging will leave the water turbid devastating the fragile ecosystem. The constant traffic through the canal will wreck the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of fisherfolk. The people will have a better understanding of the project if political parties and the media start discussing how the project was given clearance.

Thirumal Ravula,

Hyderabad

The Congress was the first to think of the Sethusamudram project without destroying the sethu. The DMK too has said it wants the project to go ahead and the alignment does not matter. The BJP alone seems to be exploiting Rama’s name for political gains.

T.S. Gopalakrishnan,

Chennai

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