The government today told the Supreme Court that a high-level Committee has suggested in its report that alternative alignment for Sethusamudram project was not economically and ecologically feasible. In his submission before a Bench comprising Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad, Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman said, the Union Cabinet is yet to consider and take a decision on the report of R K Pachauri Committee. The Bench gave the government eight weeks time to apprise it about the future development of the project.
In its report, the Committee dealt with the issue of risk management and arrived at a finding that an oil spill could cause risk to the ecosystem. The case relating to Ram Sethu came under judicial scrutiny due to a number of petitions filed in the apex court against the project, alleging that it could damage the mythological bridge. The proposed shipping channel is to be 30 metres wide, 12 metres deep and 167 kilometres long.