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To
Koffi Annan
Secretary-General
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
Honorable Secretary General,
 "THAT A MEGA scheme such as the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP), which undoubtedly will change the face
the earth in two countries and might exacerbate the possibility of sudden
natural disasters such as Tsunamis, Tidal waves or Cyclones. It could also
create the conditions of slow disasters such as the destruction of the
ecological system of the Gulf of Mannar (GOM) or the Palk Bay, destroy the
breeding grounds for the marine life and thereby ruin the livelihood of millions
of fisherman in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka or ruin the farmers of the Northern
Province by gradually increasing the salinity of the ground water.
The serious ramifications and consequences of such an occurrence has been
brought to the fore by the recent Tsunami on December 26, 2004, and the 8.7
Earthquake, with the epicenter around the same spot, causing great fear of a
repetitive Tsunami tidal wave on March 28 2005. Being rudely awakened just
before midnight and running for their dear life would have created a greater
"fear psychosis" than last year among the fisher folks and coastal residents,
which the pundits in Delhi, Chennai or Colombo might be unable to comprehend.
What is more shocking is that all the politicians of both countries have shown a
callous disregard to the feelings and sentiments of the POOR fisherman or
Farmers, and are only competing with each other for political glory and credit
without realizing that this project would not only be a commercial disaster but
an ecological disaster as well. The Billion-Dollar question is whether the
politicians or the pundit care?
There is also the fear of pollution caused by a marine accident, war, or
subversive groups actions, or a slow process of pollution, which will have
disastrous effects on marine life, fisheries, and the virgin beaches of both
countries. It is an undeniable fact that India as a nation has fought bitter and
regular wars with all its neighbors namely Pakistan, Bangla Desh (then, East
Pakistan), China and Sri Lanka. There is also news that there are secret plans
and schemes within the Indian military to build the Nuclear Sub Marine bases
within the Sethu Samudram Canal (SSC) and Palk bay, which will be protected by
the landmass of both Sri Lanka and India. Koodankulam in the next 5 years is
scheduled to produce over 40 per cent of the Nuclear fuel in India.
Where will a prudent military and government store their nuclear fuel? It would
obviously not expose their Nuclear fuel to its sworn enemies. It would be smart
and prudent for Delhi to store such Nuclear fuel in the Palk Bay, protected by
its fleet of Submarines and the Navy, as well as the friendly neighbor Sri
Lanka.
Besides that, the region around the SSC is sparsely populated and only littered
with poor fisherman and laborers who have been devastated by the TSUNAMI tidal
wave. If there is a nuclear accident, an incident due to war or deliberate acts
by certain subversive groups, Tamil People in Tamil Nadu and the Tamils of the
Northern Province would suffer immensely. The effects of radiation will most
affect both Sri Lanka and South India due to the wind pattern of that region,
and ocean currents. Let us not forget the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS)
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam was nearly destroyed and
many died, forcing the Government of India [GOI] to shut it down. The casualties
and damage is still a secret. A more direct hit would cause a huge human
disaster worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That is what will happen if
Koodankulam takes a direct hit due to cyclone, tidal wave or by an earthquake.
There is nowhere to run for the South Indians, particularly Tamil Nadu people or
the 20 million Sri Lankans.
For whatever reason, politicians and the Ministers of Indian Government seem to
be in a great big rush to execute a SSCP that was conceived not less than 145
years ago by the British. There may be unanimity among political parties in
Tamil Nadu on the need for the SSCP; and a sense of righteous indignation that
it has taken so long for the Center to implement it. But that does not justify
the manner in which the public hearings are being manipulated and handled by
certain section of the political parties in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu,
and opposition to the project is being callously dealt with, when people are
even beginning to question the independence of the regional judiciary. There may
be a host of advantages claimed by the State and the Tuticorin Port Trust [Nodal
Body] of the SSCP, under the mistaken illusion of reshaping shipping routes of
South Asia like the Suez or Panama Canal. But the government officials fail to
DISCLOSE to India, Sri Lanka, and the International community that more than 70
percent of the cargo has to bypass the canal due to the draft restrictions (Not
greater than 36,000 tonners) as the canal would be unable to handle most of the
oil and gas tankers, grain and bulk carriers, or the container vessels.
Furthermore the officials are deliberately miscalculating the distance saved
transiting the canal compared to circumnavigating Sri Lanka, nor have they given
any time allowance for the transit of the high canal fees and dues for transit
as well as pilotage and shipping agency fees. Security issues considering the
high security and nuclear zones in the canal, as well as other labor or weather
delays has been carefully camouflaged or omitted. The possibilities of
navigational errors, and accidents with local fishing boats cannot be
discounted, as Murphy's law would be quite alive. When one considers all the
factors there might not be even any saving on time, fuel, or other additional
costs involved. It is also a fact that GOI is not disclosing the secret long
term military plans, and nuclear weapons program for the region.
All these problems were publicly and privately chronicled many months before the
Tsunami Tidal wave. With the effects of the Tsunami, and serious Earthquake, and
the tremors felt in South India and Sri Lanka there is insufficient oceanic and
geological information available to both India and Sri Lanka to permit such an
undertaking of this magnitude. The SSCP also involves massive dredging, an
estimated 85 million cubic meters of sand and spoil that will need safe
disposal. This issue must be addressed honestly and transparently, with the
consultation of our neighbour. The near extinction of several marine species
unique to the Gulf of Manner [GOM], and the region, as well as the damage to the
coral reefs which would lead to loss of fishing and breeding grounds has been
very well documented by several professional groups. This also leads to sea
erosion, and the effects during tidal waves and cyclones have been practically
demonstrated both in 1964 and 40 years later in 2004. We do not need any further
proof, and afford to risk the submergence of small islands North of Sri Lanka,
which could also have effects on the 1500 atolls of the Maldives, as well as
wipe out coastal regions.
India and Sri Lanka should ignore the political exigencies of a few, and give
sufficient consideration to the humanitarian issues of the fisherman and the
farmer, as well as respect the ecological damages the construction would cause.
Tsunami has shown that oceans although within territorial waters of certain
nations belong to the whole world or region. India should also keep in
perspective and respect the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea, which both Sri Lanka and India ratified and acceded to, in the mid-1990s.
Government of India is obligated to brief the Government of Sri Lanka in a
friendly way without economic or military cohesion on the SSCP to rule out any
kind of future bilateral problem. The shipping community in Colombo nor the
Government of Sri Lanka do not foresee the dangers of the canal and the
subsequent loss of container transshipment cargos to and from India, with the
major development of the Vallarpadam and Tuticorin Container ports and terminals
as well as the major investments in the Indian railways and highways connecting
these two ports efficiently with the Industrial cities in the West and Northern
India. Colombo port instead of a hub port would be be reduced to a feeder port
in the near future.
We urge the citizens of both India and Sri Lanka to commence a Signature
Campaign district by district, region by region to let the judiciary, government
officials, and their elected representatives at every level to know their
genuine fears, sentiments and concern.
So, we urge the judiciary, government officials, and their elected
representatives that there should be International Independent Investigations
and research done by professional groups and experts prior to going ahead of
this Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.
04-04-2005
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