Sethu Ship Canal Project: Survey vessel to conduct trial run

Tiruchi: A survey vessel has been sent to the Palk Strait for a study on trial run, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T. R. Baalu, said.

Addressing the media here, Mr Baalu said that the survey vessel has been conducting the trial run for the past two-three days. He was awaiting an assessment from the vessel, he said. In reply to a question, he said that the operation by the survey vessel would not be violative of the Supreme Court’s directive to the Union Ministry on the Sethu Samthiram Shipping Canal Project.

“The trial is being conducted only at 35th km, while the legal issue pertains to 54th km of the Palk Strait,” he clarified. He dismissed the apprehensions that the area dredged out for the SSCP had got silted up. He had carefully verified it and found the apprehension to be false.

Pointing out that the Shipping Corporation of India was to be declared as one of the ‘Navaratna’ companies, he said that a proposal had been sent to the Union Ministry of Public Enterprises in this regard.

Mr Baalu said that a proposal to revive an inland waterway linking Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had been taken up. The waterway, known as Vaiyaan Canal between Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and Marakkanam near the coastal Puducherry, had been used centuries ago for supplies for army personnel.

It has been proposed to revive this 1,084 km-long canal on an outlay of Rs 600 crore. It would be deepened and utilised to promote tourism, boating and also cargo movement.