Demolition of Adam`s Bridge to cause natural disasters: Experts
Chennai, Sept 28: Amidst debates on whether `Ram Setu` was man-made or a natural formation, geological experts on Friday warned that demolition of Adam`s Bridge for the implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) might trigger natural disasters.
Environmental scientists and geologists, who had come under the banner of `The movement against Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project`, said the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar area was not only fragile with respect to tectonic movements, but also highly sensitive for higher heat flow manifestations coupled with seismically vulnerable nature.
Geological Survey of India (GSI) former Director K Gopalakrishnan said the Adam`s Bridge was not merely a group of simple sandy shoal or sandy bars of migratory nature as was being projected by the Centre and project authorities.
"Evidences are available to prove that such physical feature forms a distinct geological, geotectonic, oceanographic and oceanic divide that has got a specific and important role to play as a barrier in controlling different geological and oceanographic activities in this highly fragile and sensitive area," he added.
Destablisation of the multifarious barrier zone of Adam`s Bridge would cause submarine landslides, induce earthquakes and earth tremors and lead to tectonic movements along active fault zones bringing about subsidence and submergence of areas, he said.
He urged the Centre to form a multi-disciplinary committee to go into the vulnerability of the project.
Dr Arunachalam, an environmental scientist and associate professor in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, said the project would be a major man-made stressor to fragile ecosystems such as Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar.
Apart from the loss of biodiversity, the changes brought about by breaking the Adam`s Bridge would result in thorough alteration to the Coromandel Coast and the Indian Ocean, which might lead to conditions detrimental to mankind by way of cyclones or tsunami, he added.
As the country was completely relying on the monsoon for fresh water resources and livelihood, the changes might bring a condition of floods and droughts by monsoonal changes in oceans near India, he said.
Bureau Report
Demolition of Adam`s Bridge to cause natural disasters
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RAMANATHAPURAM: With the word Ramar Sethu hitting the national headlines, Adam's Bridge, otherwise known as Ramar Sethu, has become a must-see destination for pilgrims and tourists visiting Rameswaram.
The 30-mile bridge, believed to be constructed by Lord Rama, is a chain of limestone shoals between Dhanushkodi near the Rameswaram island and Mannar in northern Sri Lanka.
No road link
From Rameswaram tourists have to reach Dhanushkodi, which lost the road connectivity after the 1964 cyclone that destroyed the coastal town. From there they have to go to the chain of unmanned sand dunes by hiring country boats.
Reaching Dhanushkodi is a laborious and expensive task. Tourists and pilgrims have to hire four-wheel drive vehicles from Muhuntharayar Chathiram, as normal vehicles cannot ply on the seashore.
Due to rising demand, vehicle operators have raised the cost of the 10-km trip to Dhanushkodi from Rs.700 to Rs.1,000.
The tourists, on reaching Dhanushkodi, have to furnish information at the Forward Observation Point of the Indian Navy for going further.
According to Commander S. Mukherji, Area Commander, South, Naval Detachment, Rameswaram, there is no bar on visiting the Adam's Bridge area. People can go up to the International Maritime Boundary Line.
"We apply some restrictions on pilgrims going beyond Dhanushkodi as this is a sensitive area from the security point of view because of arrival of refugees from Sri Lanka."
Hurdles no bar
With the naked eye, pilgrims can see only the sand dunes in the Ramar Bridge area. But, in spite of the hurdles, tourists and journalists – national and international – are making a beeline for the Ramar Bridge area.
"During the last few months, tourists, particularly from North India, have been showing immense interest in the Ramar Bridge.
Though only a small number of pilgrims actually make it to the area, the number of pilgrims going to Dhanushkodi has risen drastically, " says K. Muralidharan, a travel agent in Rameswaram
The 30-mile bridge, believed to be constructed by Lord Rama, is a chain of limestone shoals between Dhanushkodi near the Rameswaram island and Mannar in northern Sri Lanka.
No road link
From Rameswaram tourists have to reach Dhanushkodi, which lost the road connectivity after the 1964 cyclone that destroyed the coastal town. From there they have to go to the chain of unmanned sand dunes by hiring country boats.
Reaching Dhanushkodi is a laborious and expensive task. Tourists and pilgrims have to hire four-wheel drive vehicles from Muhuntharayar Chathiram, as normal vehicles cannot ply on the seashore.
Due to rising demand, vehicle operators have raised the cost of the 10-km trip to Dhanushkodi from Rs.700 to Rs.1,000.
The tourists, on reaching Dhanushkodi, have to furnish information at the Forward Observation Point of the Indian Navy for going further.
According to Commander S. Mukherji, Area Commander, South, Naval Detachment, Rameswaram, there is no bar on visiting the Adam's Bridge area. People can go up to the International Maritime Boundary Line.
"We apply some restrictions on pilgrims going beyond Dhanushkodi as this is a sensitive area from the security point of view because of arrival of refugees from Sri Lanka."
Hurdles no bar
With the naked eye, pilgrims can see only the sand dunes in the Ramar Bridge area. But, in spite of the hurdles, tourists and journalists – national and international – are making a beeline for the Ramar Bridge area.
"During the last few months, tourists, particularly from North India, have been showing immense interest in the Ramar Bridge.
Though only a small number of pilgrims actually make it to the area, the number of pilgrims going to Dhanushkodi has risen drastically, " says K. Muralidharan, a travel agent in Rameswaram