The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant interim stay against the implementation of Setusamudram shipping canal project, which will destroy the barrier called Ram Setu.
This bridge is believed to have been constructed by Lord Rama to cross the sea from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain, however, fixed May 28 for hearing of the writ petition filed by Dandi Swami Vidyananda Bharti and others.
The petitioners contended before the court on Monday that the Ram Setu situated in southeast of Rameshwaram near Pamban, which connects Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka, commands great respect among the majority of the population of the country.
According to the Hindu mythology the bridge was build by Lord Rama to free his wife Sita from the captivity of the demon king Ravana who had abducted her.
The petitioners have also prayed to the court to direct the respondents to make arrangements for the rehabilitation of fishermen.
They have further sought directives to minimise the damage to the environment while preserving the ecological balance along with flora and fauna of the ocean.
The petition calls for directions to the government to keep in mind the cost of huge displacement of more than 5 lakhs citizens of the country and also to declare Ramsetu as a protected monument and also to take steps to get it declared a world heritage.
The present project has rocked Parliament and the four Shankaracharyas are proceeding to Rameshwaram to stall the project, which is posing threat to Ram Setu as well as the environment of the area.
