Ancient texts such as the Mahabharata and Valmiki’s Ramayana chronicle accounts of Rama crossing a bridge constructed by Hanumanta to save Sita from King Ravana’s abduction. Historical documentation also makes mention of a structure known as Adam’s Bridge. Extensive sections of Adam’s Bridge stand the test of time, connecting the islands of Mannar in Northern Sri Lanka and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu (TN) India.
Discussions about constructing a bridge linking India and Sri Lanka have surfaced from time to time. The United National Party (UNP) Government in 2001 tabled the initial proposal. It was a priority project in the Yali Pubudamu Sri Lanka (Re-Awakening) program introduced by the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
During a visit to India, the then Prime Minister Wickremesinghe discussed this plan with his counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and reached an agreement. Preliminary feasibility studies were undertaken subsequently.
The main objective of constructing the bridge was to facilitate the transportation of Indian goods to Sri Lanka and utilise the Colombo Port for exports. It would also be used for tourism and general travel. Strategies were devised to transport goods to Colombo using containers.
Large ships
As there were no ports in India equipped to handle large ships during this period, Indian goods were transported to the Colombo Port using smaller vessels for export. Establishing a land route would mean reducing shipping expenses.
Following the Government change in 2004, the project came to a halt. However, in 2015, with the return of the Good Governance Government, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe resumed discussions with India on this subject.
However, India was more inclined towards the Sethu Samudram Project at the time. India had already finished constructing a part of the Adam’s Bridge and had initiated a project to establish a shipping route across the Bay of Bengal.
After the Sethu Samudram project faced setbacks in India due to a multitude of reasons, the Adani Group proceeded to construct the world’s largest navigable port in India. Against this backdrop, with Wickremesinghe assuming the Presidency in July 2022, negotiations with India resumed on the land bridge.
The aim was enhancing economic cooperation between the two nations. President Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions on 16 issues. The responsibility of advancing these discussions was delegated to the President’s Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser Sagala Ratnayaka. A delegation led by Ratnayaka departed for India in the first week of April to engage in talks with Indian authorities on this and a number of other issues.
The delegation met Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra to discuss the 16 agreements reached between President Wickremesinghe and Premier Modi. These agreements encompassed:
Creating an economic land corridor; Establishing an interconnection between the power grids of the two countries (Power Grid Interconnection); Construction of a fuel pipeline accommodating multiple products (Multi-product Oil Pipeline); Establishment of LNG power plants; Sampur Solar Power Project; Trincomalee Economic Development Plan Initiative MoU; Renewable Energy MoU; Kankesanthurai (KKS) Port Redevelopment; Dairy and Livestock Programs; Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA); Airport Development Project including Jaffna International Airport; Fisheries programs; Electronic Identity Card Project (SLUDI Project); Development of Upper Tank Farm (UTF) in Trincomalee for Trincomalee Oil Project Development and the Commencement of marine passenger transport services (ferries) between the two countries.
The initial proposal suggests constructing a land road between the two countries to establish an economic corridor. The first phase involves building a passenger transport bridge connecting the two nations. Sri Lanka stands to benefit significantly from this land route.
Once the bridge is in place, travel time between the two nations will be reduced, enhancing convenience. Container trucks can then easily transport goods from South India to Sri Lanka at a lower cost compared to shipping containers by sea. Moreover, the time required for exchanging goods will decrease. The Colombo Port serves as the primary trading hub for Indian goods entering Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is proposed to construct an expressway from Mannar to Dambulla, continuing to Kurunegala, which connects to the expressway network to the South. As a subsequent step, an expressway will also be built from Dambulla to Trincomalee.
The introduction of direct exports will lead to a quantitative decrease in re-export trade and services. The inclusion of a railway track on the bridge being constructed between India and Sri Lanka will significantly reduce transportation costs. With the railway, Sri Lankans can travel to India, and Indians can use the train to visit Sri Lanka and freight too can be transported both ways. This integration of transport services will result in approximately a 50 percent reduction in service charges for cargo and passenger transport.
Pilgrimages
Indian tourists predominantly visit Sri Lanka, and there are also pilgrimages from Sri Lanka to Dambadiwa (India’s Buddhist pilgrimage sites). The construction of the new bridge will provide a cost-effective and convenient alternative to air travel, with train fares being less than half the cost of airfare.
The Indian Government signed an agreement for an economic corridor in the Middle East recently. With the bridge being constructed between India and Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan businessmen will also gain access to the Middle East Economic Corridor (MEEC). This development marks a significant victory for Sri Lanka.
The construction of the bridge will also provide the opportunity to route data cables or internet connections. Currently these submarine cables are laid in the middle of the sea, often getting entangled in anchors and damaged by fishermen’s activities. Repairing them incurs substantial costs. Routing these cables over the bridge will minimise the damage.
India has estimated the cost of the bridge to be around US$ 4 or 5 billion dollars. The bridge will stretch from Rameswaram to Sri Lanka via Dhanushkodi and Mannar. Plans include connecting Mannar to Colombo and Trincomalee Port as an expressway from Dhanushkodi. This toll road is proposed to be a dual carriageway.
Once the two countries are connected via the bridge, it will even be possible to travel from Colombo to Europe by land. The bridge will also facilitate the use of the fuel pipeline and electricity transmission line as mediums of exchange between the two nations.
Prioritising the construction of cyber wiring systems, electricity wiring systems, and oil pipelines will ensure safety and convenience. The two Governments aim to commence work on the bridge shortly after receiving the preliminary study reports.
Chief of Staff Ratnayaka and his team have been fully committed to initiating and completing these activities under the guidance of President Wickremesinghe. The swift completion of this two-year project will offer Sri Lanka numerous advantages over India.
Although no written evidence exists on Sri Lanka being connected to India by land in the past, legends suggest the possibility.
Some individuals reminisce about traveling to India in the seventies by both train and ferry from the Talaimannar port. They recall obtaining tickets from the Colombo Railway Station for this journey. However, this opportunity was lost after the 80s due to various factors, including the war.
President Wickremesinghe and Chief of Staff Ratnayaka’s endeavour will restore this missed opportunity to the country through the construction of a land bridge that will connect India and Sri Lanka. All over the world, many neighbouring countries are joined together by such bridges, boosting their economies. Thus this endeavour will undoubtedly benefit the country.
Translated by Dinuli Francisco
