key god Hanuman, along with his army the strait make a living by fi shing, oys- of monkeys, built a bridge through the tering or pearling. It is yet unknown Palk Strait in order to save Lord Ram’s how these industries would be aff ected wife, who had been imprisoned on Sri by the canal’s construction or its traffi c. Lanka by a demon. Even though the Before the Sethusamudram Canal is bridge, known as the Ram Setu, was sup- built, several issues must be solved. Since posed to have been destroyed by Lord the canal would be constructed solely Ram, a Hindu god, many Hindus be- by the Indian government it would be lieve that a chain of limestone shoals in necessary to make sure it does not enter the Palk Strait connecting India and Sri Sri Lankan territorial waters. India and PLANNED CANAL Lanka are remains of Hanuman’s con- Sri Lanka already disagree over fi shing THROUGH THE struction. Any new canal would have to rights in the Palk Strait, most recently il- go through the shoals, destroying a key lustrated by a confl ict recently in which PALK STRAIT article of the Hindu faith. Some politi- the Sri Lankan Navy attacked Indian cians and engineers, while arguing for fi shermen accused of illegal fi shing in Sri Indian offi cials once again are discuss- the canal, have insulted some Hindus Lankan waters. ing a new canal. The proposed canal by suggesting that their beliefs about the In addition, even if the Park Strait’s would shorten the distance and travel Ram Setu are fi ctional. limestone shoals are disturbed during time for ocean-going ships along India’s Sri Lankan Buddhists also believe construction of the shipping channel, eastern shore. that the island of Nagadeepa, one of the constant dredging in order to maintain The main purpose of the canal would be neces- most canals is to provide A Shortcut? Or Cultural Divide? sary. The shoals constant- a shorter, more economi- ly shift in the shallowest Mahe Puducherry cal route for water traffi c. 0 100 mi parts of the Palk Strait, 0 100 km Classic examples are the Coimbatore which are less than 30 Panama and Suez canals, feet (10 m) deep. both of which provide INDIA Bay of Despite all of these enormous economic ad- Bengal challenges, governments Kochi Madurai vantages to ocean going Jaffna and companies have, Palk ship traffi c. Alappuzha Ramanathapuram Strait for more than 200 years, When the Indian gov- been interested in cutting ernment recently an- Tuticorin travel time between In- nounced plans to build a Thiruvananthapuram SRI dia’s east and west coasts shipping channel called LANKA by making it possible for the Sethusamudram (cet- Ceylon ships to pass through Laccadive HOOS-a-MOO-drum) Sea the Palk Strait. As India Canal through the Palk grows its economy and Colombo Strait, considerable con- attempts to improve its troversy erupted. The infrastructure, examples Palk Strait, a narrow and Current shipping lane like the Sethusamudram Proposed route through shallow body of water, Sethusamudram Canal Project illustrate how separates India’s south- INDIAN OCEAN diffi cult it is to please ernmost state of Tamil Geography in the News 7/05/13 © 2013 everyone. India must Nadu from the island constantly attempt to bal- country of Sri Lanka. A deep-water canal shoals in the Palk Strait that might be ance religious, social and environmental would provide a shortcut to ocean traffi c aff ected by the proposed canal, was the interests with its economic development. that must now travel around the island fi rst place the Buddha visited when he And that is Geography in the News™. of Ceylon. The canal would save approx- landed in Sri Lanka. July 5, 2013. #1205. imately 350 miles (563 km.) of travel. The shallow waters of the Palk Strait Even though the idea of building a ca- support a great diversity of marine life, This article was researched and co-written nal through the strait was fi rst proposed including sea turtles, sharks, dugongs by Malavika Nidhi and Rahul Nagvekar, in the 18th century, the project remains and dolphins. This has given environ- students in Mrs. Rita McMahon’s social a topic of heavy debate due to the Palk mentalists many reasons to be concerned studies class in Sugar Land, Texas, and edited by co-authors Neal Lineback, Strait’s religious, environmental and about the Sethusamudram Canal Project, Appalachian State economic signifi cance. as the construction and increased ship University Professor Hindus, who form a large majority of traffi c would disrupt some of the natural Emeritus of Geography, India’s population, believe that the mon- ecosystem. Many people living around and Geographer Mandy Lineback Gritzner. University News Director Jane Sources: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/439879/Palk-Strait; http://www. Nicholson serves as forteantimes.com/strangedays/misc/2479/ramas_bridge.html; and http://www.dailymail. technical editor. co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2285503/Pachauri-committee-punctures-holes- government-claims-controversial-Sethusamudram-canal-project.html