Supreme Court waits for Setu feasibility report

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ruled out passing any direction relating to the controversial Setusamudram project, saying it will wait for the final report of the expert committee which is examining the feasibility of carrying it through Dhanuskodi instead of Ram Setu.

A high-powered panel set up two years ago to examine the feasibility of setting up an alternative route to the Ram Setu bridge started functioning two months ago. The panel is headed by Nobel laureate RK Pachauri.

The government told the Supreme Court that it would require another year to complete the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of the alternative route. This led to the court adjourning till February a lawsuit filed by Janata Party leader Subramanian Swami.

The UPA government had faced flak for raising doubts about the existence of Lord Rama. The government also sought quashing of Swami’s petition saying the Hindu god had demolished the bridge.

The Setusamudram project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea called Setusamudram, and through the island chain of Adam’s Bridge, also known as Ram Setu.

This would provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian Peninsula.