The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to complete the Environment Impact Analysis on an alternative alignment for the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project without cutting across Adam's Bridge or Ramar Sethu, and submit its final report by March 27.
Additional Solicitor-General Harin P. Raval informed a Bench of Justices H.L. Dattu and C.K. Prasad that the experts committee headed by R.K. Pachauri had submitted its executive summary of the report. The government wrote back to him, asking whether the summary had taken into consideration the views of all members or not, and his reply was awaited, Mr. Raval said and sought a further eight weeks' time to file the final report.
Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy urged the Bench to ask the Centre to file an affidavit on its stand on declaring Ramar Sethu a national monument as per the direction of the Madras High Court, which was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Bench told Dr. Swamy that his other prayers would be considered after the Centre submitted the report on canal alignment.
Give copies to all parties
Senior counsel M.N. Krishnamani, appearing for various parties, wanted the government to make available copies of the expert committee's report before it was submitted to the court. The Bench, while posting the matter for further hearing on March 27, asked the Centre to file the report and give copies to the parties concerned.
The Bench was hearing an application filed by Dr. Swamy for a direction to the Centre to scrap the Sethu Samudram project, citing the adverse report submitted by the National Institute of Oceanography.
