Sethusamudram poses a security threat: Coast Guard
Indiatimes News Network, The Times of India
January 31, 2008
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sethusamudram_project_a_threat_Coast_Guard/articleshow/2745768.cms

Adding another twist to the Sethusamudram controversy, Director General of the Coast Guard on Thursday said that the project poses a security threat to the country.

Vice Admiral RF Contractor said that there is a strong possibility of the canal being used by militants.

Without mentioning the LTTE directly, Contractor said that the narrow canal would put the ships moving through it at a greater risk of attack by terrorists active in the region.

He also confirmed that he has already conveyed his views about the project to government.

Earlier, Naval chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta's had said that the Sethusamudram project would be useful only for small ships.

He added that the project was economically unviable as both the Navy and international shipping agencies would not be able to use the canal. The project, if it becomes operational, would incur a loss of Rs 3,000 crore every year, he claimed.

The Sethusamudram canal would be only 12 meters deep, and only ships weighing up to 30,000 tonnes would navigate through it.