Date:13/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101361340400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

GSI to reveal ‘scientific truths’ about Sethusamudram project

Staff Reporter

To bring out White Paper on pros and cons

The paper will be posted on GSI’s website where the benefits and pitfalls will be discussed
Scholarship to be offered to scientists to attend the International Geological Congress

Bangalore: In an attempt to bring scientific clarity to the much politicised Ram Sethu debate, the Geological Society of India (GSI) will soon come out with a White Paper on the pros and cons of the Sethusamudram canal project.

“This will be an attempt to take religion and politics out of the debate and reveal scientific truths about Ram Sethu,” GSI president H.K. Gupta told presspersons on the sidelines of GSI’s Golden Jubilee celebrations here on Sunday.

White Paper

The scientific White Paper will be posted on GSI’s website, where the benefits and pitfalls of the project will be discussed, he said.

The GSI will be offering a scholarship to scientists under the age of 35 to attend the International Geological Congress.

The award has been instituted in honour of B.P. Radhakrishna, one of founders of GSI, Prof. Gupta said.

Geology

He said that GSI was encouraging schools to adopt geology and earth sciences into their curriculum.

“Earth sciences are increasingly important subjects for the 21st century. For instance, we know that access to water is going to be a major issue in the coming years,” he said.

Warning system

Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, who spoke of the applications of earth sciences, said that the tsunami warning system has been established along the Indian Ocean coast to predict tsunamis within 15 minutes after an earthquake.

“These systems have been placed at 1,800 points along the coast and can predict the time and height of the tsunami,” he said.