''Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project adverse to Sri Lanka?” Legal and Environmental Impact on Sri Lanka

Abstract

This research aims to assess the adverse impact of Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project to Sri Lanka. India had overseas trading with many countries around the world since time immemorial. Sethusamudram Ship Canal project was proposed in order to connect the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, in order to reduce the steaming distance from West India to South India. Indian Government implemented the channel in Indian?s territorial waters. Even though sovereignty was given, it need to be exercised subject to the rules of international law. As Sri Lanka also have an impact on this project India is bound to inform the Government of Sri Lanka in this regard, but Indian government had violated their obligations under the International law. Currently this project is on hold due to the protests of the Indian?s on its environmental impacts and the destruction of their culturally valuable bridge Ram Seth. The objectives of this research is as follows, to identify the legal impacts to Sri Lanka, to explore the environment impacts and repercussions to Sri Lanka and assessing the legal remedies available to Sri Lanka. Even though the project has been on hold since 2009, if India is willing to continue this project, Sir Lanka can move on to legal remedies which are provided under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention 1982. There are many adverse impacts to the environment and when considered the disadvantages surpass the advantages of this project. Therefore the implementation of this project would affect adversely to Sri Lanka and its future generations. This research would employ a quantitative analysis of primary sources and secondary sources. Primary sources would include conventions, case laws and secondary sources would include textbooks, journal articles, cases and other electronic resources.