India's shipping canal threatens marine ecology

India has begun work on a shipping canal project between the Palk Straits and the Gulf of Mannar, raising environmental concerns in both Sri Lanka and India. The construction will involve dredging 82.5 million cubic meters of seabed, while another 0.55 million cubic meters will have to be removed every year formaintenance. The dredged material is to be disposed of at an undersea location, and environmental groups in both countries are concerned that these activities will affect marine ecology and fishing operations, as well as disturbing sea currents.