Guest Lecture

Dr. U. B. Mathur retd. Dy. Director general,Geological survey of India delivered a lecture on Sethusamudram shipping canal project (SSCP) a geo-archaeological perspective on 4thOctober 2007. He briefed the students about sethusamudram ship canal project (SSCP) that there is no continuous navigable canal/channel connecting the east and the west coasts of India. The ships proceeding from the west coast of India have to go round Sri lanka before they can reach the ports on the east coast. SSCP is meant to establish such a link between the two coasts. Benefits as conceived under SSCP were to reduce sailing time, decrease fuels consumption , employment generation ,increase maritime trade and an asset to national defense and security . Potential drawbacks seem to be massive dredging causing sea water pollution and thus threat to biodiversity of gulf of mannar area More coral reefs will disappear due to dredging than by global warming ,effect on livelihood of fishermen, increasing the sailing time at low speed of 6 knots and,Socio-economic do not favour - a high costing project. He even discussed about the much controversial subject of adam’s bride/ rama setu - a natural feature or man made. Lecture also included few facts about the “off shore Dwarka” and “off-shore Hazira” habitations thrived on this landmass. They got submerged when the sea level rose subsequently at a fast pace .