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Plans to build a bridge linking India with neighbouring Sri Lanka have taken a massive step forward much to the delight of a campaigner who highlighted the proposal in the pages of GulfWeekly eight years ago.
At the time businessman Neelakanta Iyer was working in Bahrain and was convinced of the plan’s potential after witnessing first-hand the success of the causeway linking the kingdom with Saudi Arabia.
Media commentator Mr Iyer, 62, a senior chartered accountant with more than 36 years professional standing, continued to press government officials on his return home to India and it appears his efforts have paid off.
In an email to this newspaper, he said: “My article on constructing a bridge across the Indian Ocean on the lines of the Bahrain-Saudi Causeway was published by GulfWeekly in the issue dated, October 3, 2007.
“This was when I was working as financial controller in a company in the beautiful Kingdom of Bahrain. After the new government came to power in India, I suggested the same to Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi.
“I have great pleasure to inform you that the Government of India has accepted the proposal and will be constructing the bridge soon. Thank you very much - you were the first to realise the potential of my suggestion.”
The Palk Strait runs between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Palk Bay and thence with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest. The strait is 33 to 50 miles (53 to 80 km) wide. The strait is named after Robert Palk, who was a governor of Madras Presidency (1755-1763) during the rule of the East India Company.
The Hindu scripture Ramayana says that Lord Rama built a bridge or causeway, called Ram Setu or ‘Rama’s bridge’ between the mainland and Sri Lanka, in order to bring his army across. After Rama won the war and crowned a new king of Lanka, Vibhishana, requested Rama to destroy the bridge. Rama broke the bridge with one end of his bow.
Adam’s Bridge, also known as Rama’s Bridge or Rama Setu, is a chain of limestone shoals, between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.
The bridge is more than 18 miles (30 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast). Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only one to 10 metres deep in places, which hinders navigation. It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th Century until storms deepened the channel. Temple records seem to say that Adam’s Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in AD 1480.
The Government of India has decided in principle to build a new bridge at this location linking India and Sri Lanka. The new bridge, which will be partly over the sea and partly an underwater tunnel, will be 22 km long.
The project, estimated to cost around $40 million, is now at the concept stage and has been approved for financing by the Asian Development Bank. Experts estimate that the bridge construction may take a minimum of 10 years to complete.
“It’s interesting in this connection to note that my GulfWeekly suggested building a bridge across the Palk Strait, drawing attention to the causeway built connecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“At that time there was a proposal by the then Government of India to destroy the coral links so as to deepen the navigation channel. There was a hue and cry from many about this proposal which involved the destruction of a bridge believed to have been built by Lord Ram who is worshipped throughout India. The coral reef was also believed to have contained the effect of the deadly tsunami from spreading.”
A petition challenging the decision was made to The Supreme Court of India and the proposal for digging a shipping channel was stopped in its tracks.
Mr Iyer is married to Jayalakshmy Ammal, 58, a civil engineer who had worked as a design engineer with the Bridges Division of Hyder Consultants Middle East in Bahrain. The couple has twin sons, both of whom are now engineers. Ramesh is a computer engineer working as senior system analyst with Abudhabi Commercial Bank at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi and Harish is a civil engineer and an MS in Construction Management from the Manchester University in England. He is currently working as a project engineer with TERNA in Doha.
Dad continues as a contributor of proposals on various topics in the media and to the Government of India.
