With the NDA government choosing not to demolish the Ram Sethu, the mythical bridge believed to have been built by Lord Rama across the sea to go to Sri Lanka, the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel project(SSCP) could take an alternative route through the Pamban Sea.
An official, who accompanied Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari during his aerial inspection of the SSCP area today, said the Pamban route could be easy and cheap.
The SSCP project envisages dredging a ship channel across Palk Straits, providing a shorter navigational route for ships from east and west coasts of the country instead of circumventing Sri Lanka, has hit a block after protests over the proposed demolition of Ram Sethu.
"We have thoroughly studied this new route via Pamban Bridge and it is viable. Earlier, nine proposals were made between 1860 and 1922. With the technical advancement, the Pamban route will be easy and cheap," the official told PTI.
He said some minor changes might have to be made in the design of century-old Pamban railway Cantilever bridge, an engineering marvel across the sea that connects his island with mainland.
"Instead of opening vertically... The design of the bridge should be changed to open horizontally. There is need to make some changes in the Road bridge also," the official said.
The space between the pier of the road bridge also may be made wider and the bridge's height could be increased, he said.
He rejected the view that the money spent so far on the project, which encountered protests by Hindu outfits against proposed demolition of Ram Sethu, the mythical bridge built by Lord Rama, was a total waste.
The dredging done at the Palk strait could be used.
"The Pamban route is capable of handling even bigger ships, if the tunnel railway and road ways are Planned, though they could cost around Rs 4,000 crore," he said.
However, such projects could be taken up only in the second phase of the project, he added.
Depending on the volume of traffic, he said, there was scope for dredging without affecting the environment. Marine wealth also would not be affected by this proposed route.
