Avoids Giving National Monument Status To Geographical Feature In Palk Strait. The Centre on Thursday shied away from taking a stand in the Supreme Court on whether it intended to confer national monument status on Ram Sethu, a geographical feature in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka resembling the mythological bridge built by Lord Rama’s army in epic Ramayana.

The Centre came up with a blank today on whether to declare Ram Setu in the Palk Strait a national monument, leaving the Supreme Court with no option but to interpret the government’s silence as its unwillingness to take a position “this way or the other”.

It will assess ocean current patterns and will be completed by middle of 2011

SCIENTIFIC SPIRIT:Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Director-General TERI, laying the foundation stone for MARG Science Park near Marakkanam on Thursday. G.R.K.

S M Arun | ENS
Thoothukudi, July 8

WHILE the proposed Indo-Sri Lanka ferry service between Thoothukudi-Colombo and Rameswaram-Talaimannar was given increased importance in terms of business and tourism related activities, the environmental aspect had taken a backseat, according to marine biologists and environmentalists.

A host of organisations from Tamil Nadu's coastal districts, representing the fishing communities, and advocacy groups submitted a memorandum for the rights of fishermen to over 50 MLAs and leaders from 10 major political parties. The memorandum contained reservations over parts of the Coastal Regulation Zone Amendments, 2010.

Putting a virtual stop to the controversial Sethusamudram canal project, the Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to wait for a

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: With the Centre seeking time for completion of the Environment Impact Analysis (EIA) on an alternative alignment for the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project without cutting across Adam's Bridge or Ramar Sethu, the Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred judgment till February 2011.

The Tamil Nadu Government on Friday resolved to be firm on the Mullaperiyar issue. Presenting Budget 2010-11 at the new Assembly Complex, State Finance Minister K Anbazhagan said his Government had filed an interlocutory petition before the Supreme Court.