The Sethusamudaram Canal Project (SCP), which was to become operational by end-2008 before controversy hit it, is expected to reduce the sailing distances of ships plying between Kolkata and Tuticorin by 340 nautical miles (nm). Similarly the Chennai-Tuticorin route would be reduced by 434 nm. It is anticipated that approximately 3417 ships would use it by 2010 and this would rise to some 7141 ships by 2025. Also the resultant revenue earned by way of toll pilotage charges is expected to not only help repay the cost of the project, but also earn profits from the first year of operations. Incidentally, Indian coastal shipping comprises 530 ships, contributes 10 per cent of sea-borne trade and will handle 101 mt cargo in 2007. This is expected to double in the next five years.

However, the project has its downside. Retired Indian navy captain, H.H. Balakrishnan, has kindly permitted me to summarise his mathematical cost-benefit analysis vis-a-vis SCP. According to my summary, ships of 7 to 10.7 m draught would have to move in SCP at low speeds of 6 knots (kts), increasing sailing time, as against their normal open water speeds of 12 to 15 kts, due to “shallow water and squatting” effects. Also merchant ships use cheaper furnace fuel oil for open ocean sailing and costlier diesel in congested/narrow waters like the SCP for quick manoeuvring.

The mandatory ‘canal toll tax’, embarkation and disembarkation of pilots and the use of tugs, would add to costs and a time overrun of two to four hours. The shortage of trained pilots increases waiting time. A ship sailing the Kolkata-SCP-Tuticorin route at 12 kts or 15 ‘open sea’ speed plus 6 kts in SCP would take practically the same time if it sailed around Sri Lanka. Similar calculations for Chennai-SCP-Tuticorin show that going around Sri Lanka would take 20 (15 kts) to 30 hours (12 kts) more. However, in both cases every trip around Sri Lanka would result in a saving of Rs13 lakh (Chennai-Tuticorin) to Rs19 lakh (Kolkatta-Tuticorin) rupees.

... contd.