Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu), March 29 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa Saturday said the Sethusamudram ship channel project will not benefit the people or the state as well as affecting the fishermen's livelihood and the environment.
She said the government has called for tenders to prepare a detailed project report for a desalination water project in Ramanathapuram district and steps are being taken for setting up an industrial park for production of petro-chemicals and fertiliser units.
Addressing an election rally here, around 510 km from Chennai, Jayalalithaa said: "Had detailed study been made it would have been clear the Sethusamudram project would have affected the environment and the livelihood of the fishermen."
She said the central government started the project in 2005 even without getting a no objection certificate from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
Jayalalithaa said an expert committee set up by TNPCB had recommended carrying out a detailed environment impact study on the project. It also pointed out the deficiencies in the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute's (NEERI) environmental impact assessment report on the project.
According to Jayalalithaa, the dredging work carried out in the Palk Straits had destroyed the habitat of breeding fishes and many rare marine species shifted to different areas.
She said the channel will have a depth of 12 metres only and big ships will not be able to sail in it because of low depth.
Jayalalithaa said during 2012-13 the number of ships that called on the Tuticorin port had come down to 1,294 from 1,492 ships in 2011-12 due increase in the number of big ships in the market.
She said even the ships belonging to Poompuhar Shipping Corporation carrying coal to Tuticorin cannot use the Sethusamudram channel while goods from Haldia port are majorly transported by road to other parts of the country.
Citing the huge expenses to be incurred on dredging the channel once a ship crosses it and the ship piloting charges, Jayalalithaa said no good would happen because of this project.
She said a sum of Rs.830 crore has been wasted till date on the project and if DMK president M.Karunanidhi demands completion of the project then whose benefit would it serve.
She also said that the central government should give tax incentives for industries to set up their units in southern districts of the state.
Another school in the country's capital Delhi has received a bomb threat. After receiving the thr
Cryptocurrency: Crypto Market Greening, Bitcoin Up 5%, Ethereum Nine Percent
The cryptocurrency market is seeing greenery on Monday. All major cryptocurrencies are trading st
Congress will not open account in many states: Modi
Valmiki Nagar (Bihar), May 7 (IANS) BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Wednesday lau
India needs formal war history: Arun Jaitley
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley Monday said India mu
Kicha Sudeep sure, someone third was involved in the tweet-war on Hindi from Ajay Devgan
The statements of movie actors regarding the Hindi language have been in discussion for the past
Ruckus on oil prices: Finance minister blames UPA government, blames oil bonds
During the Russo-Ukraine war, where Brent crude prices are in the sky, on the other hand, oil pri
Modi behaving as if he is already PM: Sonia
Lucknow, May 1 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday ridiculed BJP's prime ministeria
According to the plan the government is planning to introduce Metro service after the coron virus
New Delhi: In the capital of Delhi, the cases of corona infection are constantly increasing. Toda
Gloom descends upon BJP offices in Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) A pall of gloom descended Tuesday on the BJP headquarters here on its
