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| Friday, 07 January 2005 |
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Afterthoughts: Tsunami by Malini Peiris Spurred by the tsunami disaster, this column would highlight issues relevant to the crisis which need to attract the attention of the relevant authorities and that of the public. Are we educated about 'The Sea'? After the "tsunami disaster" I read about a little girl aged 10 years from Britain who saved the lives of a large number of people at a beach tourist resort at Phuket in Thailand. This little girl told the others that the withdrawal of water into the sea from the beach is an indication of "tsunami" waves. She had learnt about "tsunami" from her teacher in England. This little girl now appreciated as an 'Angel' saved the lives of others who were at the beach resort. Our country, Sri Lanka, is a small island surrounded by the sea. We have taken it for granted that there is the sea for fulfilling our needs on economy, nutrition and tourism. Now it is time to include the subject of "The Sea" in the school curriculum, not as a one page matter, but as a study in depth. If the children are educated they will become the torch bearers of the nation. The subject of "The Sea" should include the evolution of the earth, the composition of the sea, various types of waves, behaviourial patterns of the sea bed, valuable assets of the sea and, of course, the threat imposed by the sea. The imparting of knowledge on this subject should start from the lower grades, getting more complex in the higher forms. These afterthoughts on "tsunami" are for the education authorities, as no one in the coastal area of the country knew anything regarding the indication given by the sea, when its beach expanded and the water receded into the sea trough. Nobody knew that it presaged the striking killer wave "tsunami". ************ 'Sethu Samurdram' - should we re-think this project? It is a matter of great concern as to what could have happened to the peninsular head of Sri Lanka if "Sethu Samurdram" project had been in operation when the giant killer wave "tsunami" struck Sri Lanka's eastern and northern coasts. In our history, it is mentioned that there were jutting out rocks between India and Sri Lanka which were known as Adam's Bridge. According to the 'Ramayana', the god, Hanuman, had traversed this bridge on his way to Sri Lanka to save Princess Seetha who was kidnapped by King Rawana. Our great King Gajaba had invaded India with his army by traversing this bridge. This shows that there was a time in the process of evolution when Sri Lanka was barely separated from India and the continental shelf around the two countries was visible and, of course, was used as a linking bridge. In the process of the evolution of earth, the prominent phenomenon is Continental Drift. Sri Lanka is slowly drifting away from India over a million of years and the bridge is now not so conspicuous. At present there is a project proposed by India to deepen the stretch of the bridge by using explosives and removing large volumes of granite and rock so that a canal will be built for the ships to sail from the east coast of India to its west coast without sailing around Sri Lanka. Actually this is very important for India for its well-defined shipping industry. But the disturbance of the continental shelf artificially by eroding its base will diminish marine fauna, eg: fish, enormously eroding the livelihood of the fishermen of both countries. This is, of course, a simple loss which can be overcome by adopting other measures. But, what could have been the effect of "tsunami" on the northern peninsula of Sri Lanka if the continental shelf or the natural barrier was not there? Or else, what could have been the effect of "tsunami" on the west coast of Tamil Nadu, if "Sethu Samurdram Canal Project" had been implemented? There could have been complete disaster for the northern peninsula of Sri Lanka and for the southern tip of India. The island of Sri Lanka could have shifted minimally from its present position as its liaison with the Asian continent through the continental shelf could have been weakened. This could be fantasy. However, it is for the relevant authorities of Sri Lanka and India to re-think implementation of the "Sethu Samurdram" canal project. It will not draw a parallel to Suez Canal as on either side of this canal lie two continents and not a small island. |
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