Wednesday, October 17, 2007

சேது சமுத்திரத் திட்டம்-ஒரு வல்லுனர் கருத்து(ஆங்கிலம்)

> 'The Sethu Samudram Project does not make nautical sense'> http://www.rediff. com/news/ 2007/oct/ 01inter.htm> > Continuing our series on the Sethu Samudram Shipping CanalProject, Shobha Warrier speaks to Captain (retired) H Balakrishnan ofthe Indian Navy to know a mariner's view of the project. CaptainBalakrishnan has been associated with the navy for 32 years. > He was one of the first batch of three Indian naval officers to dospecialisation in anti-submarine warfare in the erstwhile USSR NavalWar College. > > Out of interest, he did a study on the Sethu Samudram ShippingCanal Project from a mariner's point of view. Ever since the seriesappeared in the Indian Express, the captain has been much sought afterfor his interesting calculations. > > Why did you get interested in the Sethu Samudram Shipping CanalProject?> I don't belong to any political party. It was purely a mariner'sinterest that made me research the project. There were many reportsand statements in the media but I found that the mariner's point ofview was not talked about at all. It is sad that even today the entirediscourse on the project has got completely side tracked from the mainissue; that is, the project is for ships and the shipping industry.> > As a mariner, how do you describe the Sethu Samudram project?> The Sethu Samudram project, if I can put it simply from amariner's stand point, does not make any nautical sense. > > Why do you say so?> I have worked on the project from three different perspectives,all concerning the nautical world. I analysed the project in thebackdrop of the environmental factors that would impinge the safety ofthe ship and also the safety of lives at sea. Number two was thesecurity aspects which is maritime terrorism as it stands today. Andthe third was certain aspects of general navigation. > > What does your research on the environmental factors say?> We mariners call the coast between Rameswaram and Cuddalore thecyclone coast. The India Meteorological Department has assigned thiscoastline as a high risk probability. To site one example, in 1964,the Pamban Bridge was washed away by a severe cyclonic storm. > > A ship is safe when she is moving at the onset of a cyclone.Imagine a ship waiting to pick up its pilot as it approaches the PalkStraits to enter Sethu Samudram. No captain will wait for the pilot;his safety lies in heading south, towards Sri Lanka [Images]. > > The wind and waves bring in a large amount of silt and wash itashore. The same thing is going to happen to the Sethu Samudram Canal.This brings me to another point. Marine scientists have identifiedfive areas on the Indian coastline they call high-sinkage pits, andone of them happens to be the Palk Straits. > > What is left unsaid by the Sethu Samudram authorities is thatmaintaining the 12 metre depth (of the channel) will entail round theyear dredging. Once you establish the channel, you have to maintain it.> > You mean other than the capital expenditure, there will bemaintenance expenditure too. Will that be expensive?> Naturally. But this cost is not mentioned anywhere. This is thehidden cost which the authorities will have to pay to the dredgingcompany. It is a high siltation and sedimentation area. So, what youpick up today is going to get filled up the next day.> > What is the security threat you spoke about?> The Sea Tigers of the LTTE have control of that area off theJaffna coast. What the Sea Tigers may do is difficult to say. Piracyexists even today.> > Those who are against the project say the 12 metre depth of theCanal is not enough for big ships to pass through the canal. As amariner, what is your opinion on this?> It is quite true. If you take global shipping trends today, toreduce operating cost, they go in for larger ships of the order of60,000 deadweight tonnes and above. A 60,000 deadweight tonne carrierwill need anything in excess of 17 metres of draft. > > And as far as tankers go, the days of the super tanker are goneand you see only very large crude carriers of the type of 150,000 and185,000 tonnes. It makes more sense to have such big tankers as in onevoyage, you are bringing in more cargo and reduce your operating cost. > > None of these big ships will ever be able to use the SethuSamudram. So, the question is, for whom are you building the canal?30,000 tonnes was alright when Sethu Samudram was conceived in theearly fifties and the sixties. > > That leaves you with only the coastal bulk carriers that carrycoal from Kolkata, Paradeep and Visakhapatanam to Chennai or Tuticorin. > > How much time and money are saved if the ships go through theSethu Samudram Canal instead of going round Sri Lanka?> I plotted physically on a chart what we call 'passage planning'for a bulk carrier on passage as it happens today from Kolkata toTuticorin; one of them circumnavigating Sri Lanka as is happeningtoday and the other one going through the canal. > > The voyage distance from Kolkata to Tuticorin around Sri Lankaworks out to 1227 nautical miles. If you went through the canal, it is1098 nm. So, you are saving just 120 odd nm. > > The story doesn't end there. The majority of our bulk carriers goat a speed between 12 and 13 knots. That is the average speed at sea.I have checked with my friends who currently sail. They all said theydo 12 knots. However, I worked in a bracket of 12-15 knots. So, if youare going around Sri Lanka at 12 knots at constant speed at sea, thetime taken to reach outer anchorage at Tuticorin is 102 hours and 15minutes. > When you go through Sethu Samudram, the point to be remembered is,you cannot proceed at the speed at which you are sailing at sea. Thereason is the shallow water effect or what we call the 'Squat Effect'.So, the moment you enter Sethu Samudram, you have to reduce the spedby 50 per cent or more depending on the conditions prevailing at thatparticular time. So, I worked on a speed bracket of 6-8 knots. Butmany of my friends tell me 8 knots is too high for a 30,000 tonne bulkcarrier. In all my calculations, I gave the benefit of doubt to theSethu Samudram project.> > The second aspect is, it is not an open seaway; it is likeentering a port. A pilot boards the ship, who is a local mariner withgreater knowledge of the marine environment. The same thing has to bedone at Sethu Samudram also. I have given one hour delay for the shipto reduce speed for the pilot to climb aboard. You repeat the processat the other end too for him to disembark. > > With this 6 knots speed and 2 hours pilotage delay, my time toTuticorin via Sethu Samudram works out to 100 hours 30 minutes. If youwent around Sri Lanka, it is 102 hours 15 minutes! So, your netsavings in time by going through Sethu Samudram is 1 hour 45 minutes!Is it worth spending Rs 2,400 crore to save 1 hour 45 minutes? > > You spoke of travel time. What about the cost?> The Sethu Samudram project from the media reports and thestatement given by the finance minister will cost at Rs 2,400 crore,of which Rs 971 crore is through a special purpose vehicle. The debtportion has been pegged at Rs 1,465 crore. Assuming an interest burdenof 10 per cent, the interest payment on Rs 1,465 crore is Rs 146 croreper annum. Twenty to 25 years is the time given for repayment. > > Assuming 25 years for Rs 1,465 crore, capital repayment works outabout 56 crore per annum. So, Rs 146 crore for interest burden and Rs56 crore as repayment works out to roughly Rs 204 crore per annumwhich is what the authorities will have to repay to any financialinstitution. This is only to break-even. But the web site says it is aprofitable industry and it is going to make 'mammoth profit'. > > As the earning is going to come only from ships, I asked, how manyships are going to transit in a year through the canal? Ships that canuse the canal will be coal carrying bulk carriers as long as theTuticorin thermal power plant exists. > > Having made the calculation, I feel they are rather optimistic intheir figures. They have given a mean value of about 3,055 ships meantto use the canal in the year 2008 and by the year 2025, they expect itto go to in excess of 7,000 ships. Mind you, for 12 metres of depth! But > I can't see more than 1,000 ships using the Sethu Samudram canalin a year. > > If you take Rs 204 crore as annual repayment, and 1,000 ships useit, your per ship cost works out to Rs 22 lakhs pilotage charge tobreak even. There is an interesting comparison done by K SRamakrishnan, former deputy chairman, Chennai Port Trust. He pegsaround Rs 50 lakh as pilotage rate per ship if you have to make a profit. > > Then I calculated the fuel consumed. These ships consume 1 metrictonne of fuel per hour, which costs Rs 24,000. For the Sethu Samudramcanal, you have to add the pilotage cost too. In effect, if a shipgoes through the canal, a shipping company loses Rs 19 lakh pervoyage. It is more cost effective to circumnavigate Sri Lanka from thepoint of view of the shipping industry. > > Therefore, neither are you saving time nor is it viableeconomically. These are the two aspects that need to be highlighted.So, there is absolutely no advantage to the ships and the shippingindustry. So, what are we gaining by spending Rs 2,400 crore of taxpayers' money? It is a white elephant in the making.> > So, you must be against realignment which some political partiesare talking about?> Any course, any realignment, is going to prove uneconomical to theshipping industry. If it is of no use to the shipping industry, whybuild it? You can bring about better economic progress to the southerndistricts of Tamil Nadu by building expressways. That is why I say theSethu Samudram shipping canal project makes no nautical sense. That isthe tragedy of the project.> > Those who support the Sethu Samudram Canal compare it to the SuezCanal and the Panama Canal and say the Sethu Samudram is the Suez ofthe East.> In the case of the Suez and the Panama canals, ships savethousands of nautical miles in sailing distance and hundreds of hoursin sailing time vis-?-vis the Sethu Samudram where a ship willprobably save a few hundred miles and at the most twohours in sailingtime. This is the difference. > > aiting to pick up its pilot as it approaches the PalkStraits to enter Sethu Samudram. No captain will wait for the pilot;his safety lies in heading south, towards Sri Lanka [Images]. > > The wind and waves bring in a large amount of silt and wash itashore. The same thing is going to happen to the Sethu Samudram Canal.This brings me to another point. Marine scientists have identifiedfive areas on the Indian coastline they call high-sinkage pits, andone of them happens to be the Palk Straits. > > What is left unsaid by the Sethu Samudram authorities is thatmaintaining the 12 metre depth (of the channel) will entail round theyear dredging. Once you establish the channel, you have to maintain it.> > You mean other than the capital expenditure, there will bemaintenance expenditure too. Will that be expensive?> Naturally. But this cost is not mentioned anywhere. This is thehidden cost which the authorities will have to pay to the dredgingcompany. It is a high siltation and sedimentation area. So, what youpick up today is going to get filled up the next day.> > What is the security threat you spoke about?> The Sea Tigers of the LTTE have control of that area off theJaffna coast. What the Sea Tigers may do is difficult to say. Piracyexists even today.> > Those who are against the project say the 12 metre depth of theCanal is not enough for big ships to pass through the canal. As amariner, what is your opinion on this?> It is quite true. If you take global shipping trends today, toreduce operating cost, they go in for larger ships of the order of60,000 deadweight tonnes and above. A 60,000 deadweight tonne carrierwill need anything in excess of 17 metres of draft. > > And as far as tankers go, the days of the super tanker are goneand you see only very large crude carriers of the type of 150,000 and185,000 tonnes. It makes more sense to have such big tankers as in onevoyage, you are bringing in more cargo and reduce your operating cost. > > None of these big ships will ever be able to use the SethuSamudram. So, the question is, for whom are you building the canal?30,000 tonnes was alright when Sethu Samudram was conceived in theearly fifties and the sixties. > > That leaves you with only the coastal bulk carriers that carrycoal from Kolkata, Paradeep and Visakhapatanam to Chennai or Tuticorin. > > How much time and money are saved if the ships go through theSethu Samudram Canal instead of going round Sri Lanka?> I plotted physically on a chart what we call 'passage planning'for a bulk carrier on passage as it happens today from Kolkata toTuticorin; one of them circumnavigating Sri Lanka as is happeningtoday and the other one going through the canal. > > The voyage distance from Kolkata to Tuticorin around Sri Lankaworks out to 1227 nautical miles. If you went through the canal, it is1098 nm. So, you are saving just 120 odd nm. > > The story doesn't end there. The majority of our bulk carriers goat a speed between 12 and 13 knots. That is the average speed at sea.I have checked with my friends who currently sail. They all said theydo 12 knots. However, I worked in a bracket of 12-15 knots. So, if youare going around Sri Lanka at 12 knots at constant speed at sea, thetime taken to reach outer anchorage at Tuticorin is 102 hours and 15minutes. > When you go through Sethu Samudram, the point to be remembered is,you cannot proceed at the speed at which you are sailing at sea. Thereason is the shallow water effect or what we call the 'Squat Effect'.So, the moment you enter Sethu Samudram, you have to reduce the spedby 50 per cent or more depending on the conditions prevailing at thatparticular time. So, I worked on a speed bracket of 6-8 knots. Butmany of my friends tell me 8 knots is too high for a 30,000 tonne bulkcarrier. In all my calculations, I gave the benefit of doubt to theSethu Samudram project.> > The second aspect is, it is not an open seaway; it is likeentering a port. A pilot boards the ship, who is a local mariner withgreater knowledge of the marine environment. The same thing has to bedone at Sethu Samudram also. I have given one hour delay for the shipto reduce speed for the pilot to climb aboard. You repeat the processat the other end too for him to disembark. > > With this 6 knots speed and 2 hours pilotage delay, my time toTuticorin via Sethu Samudram works out to 100 hours 30 minutes. If youwent around Sri Lanka, it is 102 hours 15 minutes! So, your netsavings in time by going through Sethu Samudram is 1 hour 45 minutes!Is it worth spending Rs 2,400 crore to save 1 hour 45 minutes? > > You spoke of travel time. What about the cost?> The Sethu Samudram project from the media reports and thestatement given by the finance minister will cost at Rs 2,400 crore,of which Rs 971 crore is through a special purpose vehicle. The debtportion has been pegged at Rs 1,465 crore. Assuming an interest burdenof 10 per cent, the interest payment on Rs 1,465 crore is Rs 146 croreper annum. Twenty to 25 years is the time given for repayment. > > Assuming 25 years for Rs 1,465 crore, capital repayment works outabout 56 crore per annum. So, Rs 146 crore for interest burden and Rs56 crore as repayment works out to roughly Rs 204 crore per annumwhich is what the authorities will have to repay to any financialinstitution. This is only to break-even. But the web site says it is aprofitable industry and it is going to make 'mammoth profit'. > > As the earning is going to come only from ships, I asked, how manyships are going to transit in a year through the canal? Ships that canuse the canal will be coal carrying bulk carriers as long as theTuticorin thermal power plant exists. > > Having made the calculation, I feel they are rather optimistic intheir figures. They have given a mean value of about 3,055 ships meantto use the canal in the year 2008 and by the year 2025, they expect itto go to in excess of 7,000 ships. Mind you, for 12 metres of depth! But > I can't see more than 1,000 ships using the Sethu Samudram canalin a year. > > If you take Rs 204 crore as annual repayment, and 1,000 ships useit, your per ship cost works out to Rs 22 lakhs pilotage charge tobreak even. There is an interesting comparison done by K SRamakrishnan, former deputy chairman, Chennai Port Trust. He pegsaround Rs 50 lakh as pilotage rate per ship if you have to make a profit. > > Then I calculated the fuel consumed. These ships consume 1 metrictonne of fuel per hour, which costs Rs 24,000. For the Sethu Samudramcanal, you have to add the pilotage cost too. In effect, if a shipgoes through the canal, a shipping company loses Rs 19 lakh pervoyage. It is more cost effective to circumnavigate Sri Lanka from thepoint of view of the shipping industry. > > Therefore, neither are you saving time nor is it viableeconomically. These are the two aspects that need to be highlighted.So, there is absolutely no advantage to the ships and the shippingindustry. So, what are we gaining by spending Rs 2,400 crore of taxpayers' money? It is a white elephant in the making.> > So, you must be against realignment which some political partiesare talking about?> Any course, any realignment, is going to prove uneconomical to theshipping industry. If it is of no use to the shipping industry, whybuild it? You can bring about better economic progress to the southerndistricts of Tamil Nadu by building expressways. That is why I say theSethu Samudram shipping canal project makes no nautical sense. That isthe tragedy of the project.> > Those who support the Sethu Samudram Canal compare it to the SuezCanal and the Panama Canal and say the Sethu Samudram is the Suez ofthe East.> In the case of the Suez and the Panama canals, ships savethousands of nautical miles in sailing distance and hundreds of hoursin sailing time vis-?-vis the Sethu Samudram where a ship willprobably save a few hundred miles and at the most twohours in sailingtime. This is the difference. > >

Monday, September 24, 2007

கல்யாண சமையல் சாதம்-காலி வயிறுகள் பாவம்

இன்று எனக்கு வந்த ஒரு மின்னஞ்சல் கீழே:-




Subject: India Shining: Salaries ......Just have a look at this >>>Think

Subject: India Shining: Salaries ......Just have a look at this >>>Think
Have a look at this Salary & Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP)
Monthly Salary : 12,000 Expense for Constitution per month : 10,000 Office expenditure per month : 14,000 Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km) : 48,000 ( eg.For a visit from kerala to Delhi & return: 6000 km) Daily DA TA during parliament meets : 500/day
Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train: Free (For any number of times) (All over India )
Charge for Business Class in flights : Free for 40 trips / year (With wife or P.A.)
Rent for MP hostel at Delhi : Free
Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units
Local phone call charge : Free up to 1 ,70,000 calls.
TOTAL expense for a MP [having no qualification] per year : 32,00,000 [i.e. 2.66 lakh/month]
TOTAL expense for 5 years : 1,60,00,000 For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years : 8,54,40,00,000 (nearly 855 crores)
AND THE PRIME MINISTER IS ASKING THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED, OUT PERFORMING CEOs TO CUT DOWN THEIR SALARIES.....
This is how all our tax money is been swallowed and price hike on our regular commodities.......
And this is the present condition of our country:
855 crores could make their life livable !! Think of the great democracy we have............. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ALL REAL CITIZENS OF INDIA .. but, STILL Proud to be INDIAN
i know hitting a delete button is easier.......bt.......try 2 press fwd button 2 make people aware of it!




















Wednesday, September 12, 2007

வடை கறி

சில நாட்களுக்கு முன் பத்திரிகையில் படித்த செய்திஒன்று.(D.C.8,sep 2007)தமிழ்,தெலுங்குஇரண்டு மொழித் திரைப்படங்களிலும் பிரபலமான ஒரு நடிகை சென்னை நட்சத்திர ஓட்டல் ஒன்றில் ஒரு அரசியல் பிரமுகரின் உடன் பிறப்புடன் உல்லாசமாக இருந்த போது காவல் துறையினரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டார்.அதே ஓட்டல் அறையொன்றில் ஒரு மணி நேரம் காவலில் வைக்கப்பட்டுப் பின் விடுவிக்கப்பட்டார்.காரணம்,உயர் அதிகாரியின் உத்தரவு மற்றும் அரசியல் பிரபலத்தின் குறுக்கீடு.கொழுப்பேறி,அரிப்பெடுத்து மேலும் வசதியைப்பெருக்கிகொள்ள ஒரு உயர் மட்ட நடிகை தவறு செய்தால் மன்னிக்கப் படுகிறாள்.சட்டத்தின் கைகள் கட்டப்படுகின்றன.ஆனால் வறுமை காரணமாக,வயிற்றுச்சோற்றுக்காக ஒருத்தி தவறு செய்தால் அவளை காப்பற்ற யார் வருவார்





புதுமைப்பித்தனின்சிறுகதை ஒன்று நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது.உடல் நிலை சரியில்லாத கணவனுக்காக உடலை விற்கும் ஒரு பெண்.





"அம்மாளுவும் அவனும் இருளில் சென்று மறைந்தனர்.அம்மாளுவுக்கு அன்று முக்கால் ரூபாய் வருமானம்.புருஷனுக்குப் பால் கஞ்சி வார்க்கத்தான். கற்பு,கற்பு என்று கதைக்கிறீர்களே!

இதுதான் அய்யா பொன்னகரம்"


இவ்வாறு கதை முடியும்.


இந்தக்கதையையும் நடிகை சம்பந்தப்பட்ட நிஜ நிகழ்வையும் ஒப்பிட்டுப் பாருங்கள்.

கதையில் வரும் பெண்ணைக் காவல் துறை பார்த்திருந்தால் அவள் கைது செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பாள்.புருஷன் உணவின்றி மேலும் நலிந்திருப்பான். ஆனால் இங்கோ?

இதுதான் அய்யா நிஜம்

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

ரவா கேசரி,மிக்சர்

சென்னை ராயப்பேட்டை மருத்துவ மனையைச் சேர்ந்த மருத்துவர் ஒருவர், அமிலம் குடித்துத் தற்கொலைக்கு முயன்ற ஒரு பையனின் வெந்து போன உணவுக்குழாயை அறுவைச் சிகிச்சை மூலம் சீரமைத்து, ஒரு புது வாழ்க்கையை அளித்திருக்கிறார்.

இதற்கு நன்றி தெரிவிக்கும் விதமாக அப் பையனின் தந்தை அது போலவே பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மக்களுக்கு உதவ முன் வந்திருக்கிறார்.

நல்ல உள்ளத்திற்கு நன்றி.அபாரமாக முன்னேறி வரும் மருத்துவத்துறைக்கு வாழ்த்துக்கள்.

இந்த முன்னேற்றத்தின் பயன் இந்த நாட்டின் கடைசிக் குடி மகனுக்கும் கிடைக்கிறதா?சுதந்திரம் வாங்கி 60 ஆண்டுகள் ஆன பின்னும் ஏழை இந்தியனின் நிலை என்ன?"தனியொருவனுக்குணவிலையெனில் ஜகத்தினை அழித்திடுவோம்" என்றான் பாரதி.குறைந்த பட்சம் ஒரு நாளைக்கு ஒரு வேளை உணவாவது அனைவருக்கும் கிடைக்க வழி செய்ய வேண்டாமா?

வெறும் வாக்குறுதிகள் சோறு போடுமா?

பாகற்காய் வறுவல்

இன்றைய தினசரியில் படித்த செய்தி ஒன்று.கசப்பான செய்தி;படித்தவுடன் அந்தக் கசப்புடன் நம்மைக் காரமாக்கும் செய்தி.மத்திய அமைச்சர் சங்கர் சிங் வகேலா அவர்கள் விதர்பா விவசாயிகளின் தற்கொலை பற்றிக் கிண்டல் செய்திருக்கிறார்.அவர்கள் சோம்பேறிகளாம்;அவர்கள் தற்கொலைக்கு அவர்களேதான் காரணமாம்.
வறுமையில் வாடி தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்ட ஏழை விவசாயிகள் பற்றி ஒரு பொறுப்புள்ள அமைச்சர் பேசும் பேச்சா இது.பேசுவார்.ஏனென்றால் இறந்தவர்களுக்கு வாக்கு இல்லையே.அவர்களைப் பற்றி என்ன கவலை?
வேறெந்த நாட்டிலும் பொறுப்பான பதவி வகிப்பவர்கள் இவ்வாறு பேச மாட்டார்கள். உலகின் மிகப்பெரிய ஜனநாயக நாடான இந்தியாவில் மட்டுமே இது சாத்தியம்.
இந்த நாட்டு மக்கள் சிந்தித்து வாக்களிக்காத வரை,ஐந்தாண்டுகளுக்கு ஒரு முறை ஏமாளியாகத்தயாராக இருக்கும் வரை,திறமையற்ற ஊழல்பேர்வழிகளைத்தூக்கி எறியத்தயாராகாதவரை இது தொடரும்.
the people get the government they deserve.
"மேரா பாரத் மஹான்"

Friday, August 10, 2007

வாங்க,வாங்க

சார் வாங்க உக்காருங்க.மணி,சாருக்கு என்ன வேணும் கேளு.
சார் இன்னிக்கு ஸ்பெஷல் ஸ்வீட் காசி ஹல்வா சூடா இருக்கு.சாப்பிடுங்க.அதுக்கப்புறம் சூடா மல்லிகைப்பூ இட்லி தரேன்.அதுக்கப்புறம் என்ன வேணுமோ சொல்லுங்க.உங்களை மாதிரிப் பெரியவங்க ஆதரவுலதான் இந்தக் கடை நல்லா நடக்கணும்.சாப்பிடுங்க.குறை இருந்தா எங்க கிட்ட சொல்லுங்க.நிறைகளை மத்தவங்க கிட்ட சொல்லுங்க.நல்ல தரமும் சுவையும் தான் எங்க லட்சியம்.உங்க ஆதரவு எங்களுக்கு முக்கியம்.மணி சாருக்கு டிகிரி காப்பி குடு.
போயிட்டு வாங்க சார்,அப்புறம் பார்க்கலாம்.