CHENNAI: DMK’s Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson raised the Sethu Samudram issue in the parliament on Thursday, and urged the union government to take steps to implement the project at the earliest for the welfare of Tamil Nadu.
During his speech, P Wilson said, the Sethusamudram shipping canal project is a 150-year-old dream of the Tamils including Perarignar Anna (former CM CN Annadurai). The project proposes to make a sea interface between Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar so that ships do not have to go around Sri Lanka, and will facilitate the movement of ships like Panama and Suez canals and boost economic growth.
Highlighting the benefits of the project, the Rajya Sabha MP said, “It will also help fishermen travel from the Gulf of Mannar to Palk Strait, prevent transhipments of Indian goods at ports in Sri Lanka, cut short sailing of an additional distance of 254-424 nautical miles and save 21-36 hours of sailing time besides fuel and cost, provide jobs to more than 10 lakhs people. The project will also help both coastal and international maritime trade in TN and coastal states.”
He further noted the proposed canal will enhance national defence and security by enabling easier access between the coasts for the western and eastern fleets.