Experts from the National Institute of Oceanography, Kochi, have set up equipment off Kodiakarai coast to carry out environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a new alignment of the Sethusamudram shipping canal project.
In July 2008, following a Supreme Court directive,Centre had appointed a panel headed by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman of the
UN's Climate Change to examine the feasibility of an
alternative alignment for the Sethusamudram project.
The panel headed by Pachauri had nominated the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the Goa-based constituent
laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
to carry out EIA for the new alignment in Gulf of Mannar, Palk
Bay, Adam’s Bridge, Kodiakarai and other areas.
A team of NIO experts arrived at Kodiakarai last Friday. They erected equipment about 10-kms off Kodiakarai coast. The equipment will carry out extensive environmental data
collection for 12 months. NIO experts will make monthly
visits and analyse the data, a member of the NIO team said.
The equipment erected in sea will be guarded by a team of
five fishermen round-the-clock using a patrol boat. Fishing in
sea in the vicinity of the equipment has been banned till the
end of EIA,Fisheries department sources said.
NIO has tied up with two other institutions for EIA. The National Environmental Engineering Institute, Nagpur, another CSIR laboratory,will conduct the EIA over land through which the proposed channel passes.Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore will carry out cost-benefit analysis.
