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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 22:

        Union Minister for Shipping and Highways T R Baalu today said there was no mention of Ram Sethu in the Indian map and it was only Adam's Bridge.

        Addressing a press meet after inspecting works of National Highways in Chennai, he said, 'as far as I know, the map was not redrawn for the last sixty years.' The present alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) was sanctioned by the previous BJP government, he said and added the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) recommended the same alignment in its report.

        According to the NEERI report, the ship channel should originate from Tuticorin New Harbour and cut across Gulf of Mannar to extend towards East and further North East, South of Pamban Island and to cut through Adam's Bridge finally entering the Bay of Bengal.

        Even the paleography study by Geological Survey of India found the sediments at Adam's Bridge dating back to 5 to 7 lakh years, he said adding, 'the puranic period is segmented to be 17 lakh year ago. How come these two things be reconciled?'

        Making a plea to BJP and other religious groups opposing the Sethu canal project to stop communalising the issue, he said the SSCP was discussed and scrutinised threadbare from 1999 to 2005 and 14 public hearings were held before the dredging commenced. The project being implemented by the UPA was only based on the decisions taken by the then BJP government.

        He charged the Opposition parties for planning to incite communal violence by making it an emotional issue. However, he said that UPA government did not intend to hurt the religious sentiments of the people.