Monday, September 26 2005 17:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (Sept 26, 205) sought response from the Centre and Tamil Nadu Government on a petition challenging the grant of the Environment Clearance Certificate to the over Rs 2,400 crore Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP).

Issuing notices to Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Shipping, Surface Transport and Highways, Tuticorin Port Trust and the State Government, a Bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice C K Thakker and Justice S H Kapadia asked them to file their counter affidavit within four weeks on the petition seeking stay of the project inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 2.

After it was brought to the notice of the court by Solicitor General G E Vahanvati that the project was of national character, the bench observed 'is it a case to fully scrap the project or safeguards need to be taken in view of apprehension of impact of the project on environment.'

The petition filed by O Fernandes, co-convener of an NGO Coastal Action Network (CAN), has challenged the Madras High Court verdict dismissing its plea opposing the proposal to build the SSCP through the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Straits and the Palk way to allow ships to pass between Sri Lanka and India and save shipping time.

Alleging that benefits from the project have been grossly exaggerated and the project was being pushed through in violation of domestic law and binding commitments to International Treaties and Conventions CAN contended that no comprehensive study of the impact of the project on the environment was considered.