IANS

Chennai, Jun 12: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi Thursday urged the central government to restart the Rs.2,427-crore (Rs.24.27 billion) Sethusamudaram shipping canal project.

Inaugurating the Rs.616-crore Ramanathapuram combined drinking water scheme from the state secretariat here through video conference, Karunanidhi said: "The Sethusamudaram project initiated by the last UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government is 60 percent complete and got stalled due to the conspiracy of some. The present government should take steps to restart the project."

"I hope the present government will take necessary steps towards that. With the cooperation of the present government we will complete the project," he added.

The canal project involves dredging the mythological Ram Setu, that is also geograpically known as Adam's Bridge across the Palk Strait, to facilitate movement of ships.

While environmentalists have opposed the scheme saying it would damage the fragile ecological balance in the vicinity, economists have termed the project non-viable.

Karunanidhi praised his son and Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was present at Ramanathapuram, for the completion of the drinking water project in two years time.

The parched Ramanathapuram area will initially get 50 million litres per day (MLD) and later 100 MLD from the Cauvery river through the scheme.