Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), who has undertaken underwater research project to ascertain the origins of the Ram Setu - a 48 km long chain of shoals between India and Sri Lanka, will now be conducting a drilling operation at the site for collection of samples to study the occurrence.
NIO Director Prof Sunil Kumar Singh on Wednesday said that the project will make headway over the next two-years.
With sea level rise and accumulation of sand covering the site of the Setu, NIO scientists, who had already undertaken two field visits and done geo-physical survey, feel only drilling, will put more light on the origin.
“Lot of sand has covered everything. So what we are going to do is undertake a drilling project in the area, collect the sample and then once the samples are collected, more results can come and we will be able to tell something about the Ram Setu,” Singh told media persons.
“We have conducted two field trips (so far). We have done geo-physical surveys already. With the geophysical survey, we have tried to locate the location where it could be, because right now everywhere sand is there, it is submerged with sand. Sea level keeps on increasing. Sea level earlier was down,” he added.
The Central government had in January 2021, accorded its approval for underwater exploration project. The study — to be conducted by the NIO and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) — will focus on the process behind Ram Setu’s formation and also whether there are any submerged habitations around the structure.
“The historicity and the date of ‘Ramayana’ remain a debatable subject among historians, archaeologists and scientists. It is proposed to carry out scientific and underwater archaeological studies to understand the nature and formation of the Ram Setu and its surrounding area,” the NIO had said in their proposal earlier.