Sethusamudram falls out of favour with the Centre.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is likely to shelve Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s pet project, Sethusamudram, that involves dredging the stretch of water between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka to make it navigable for ships. The project is currently under litigation after environmental concerns were raised against the plan of linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea.

Officials in the road, transport and shipping ministry indicated the new minister, Nitin Gadkari, wants an alternative route to be explored along the Sri Lankan waters instead, which would be away from the Ram Sethu, a mythological bridge believed to have been built by Lord Ram in the Palk Strait.

BS