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The geoheritage value of Ram Setu

The geoheritage value of Ram Setu

  • Recently, SC gave the Centre an ultimatum to file a response clarifying its stand on a plea seeking national heritage status for ‘Ram Setu’.

Adam’s Bridge/ Ram Setu

  • Separating the shallow sea consisting of the Gulf of Mannar in the south and Palk Bay in the north
  • A linear coral ridge
  • Similar to the Great Barrier Reef
  • A stretch of limestone shoals running from Pamban Island near Rameswaram to the Mannar Island on the northern coast of Sri Lanka.

Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP)

  • Proposed by the British to create a channel to link the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar
  • Inaugurated in 2005.
  • If completed, may reduce the navigation time between east & west coasts of India

Concerns about the project

  • Stability of the proposed channel
  • Environmental impact
  • More sedimentation, rendering them more turbid
  • Vulnerability to cyclonic storms
  • Finding safe places for dumping dredged material without harming terrestrial or marine ecosystems
  • Emissions from ships polluting the air and water
  • Opposition by religious groups due to its significance in Ramayana

Need for protection

  • Coral reef platforms between Thoothukudi & Rameswaram in the Gulf of Mannar - marine biosphere reserve (1989)
  • Home to > 36,000 species of flora and fauna
  • Flanked by mangroves and sandy shores
  • Considered conducive for turtles to nest
  • A breeding ground for fish, lobsters, shrimps and crabs
  • 600 recorded varieties of fish - 70 commercially important
  • Threatened by thermal plants, brine run-off from salt pans, & illegal coral mining

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Conclusion

  • The SSCP will be the final blow to this sensitive environment and to the livelihoods of the people there.
  • While considering this issue from a believer’s point of view, it is also important to consider this feature from a ‘geoheritage’ perspective.

Prelims Takeaway

  • Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP)
  • Ram Setu
  • Biosphere Reserves

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