Sri Lanka rejects India land link proposal

Sri Lanka has declined a proposal from India for a land-based transport corridor, effectively shelving the prospect of a road and rail bridge linking the two South Asian nations.

The proposal, which has been periodically floated by Indian officials over the past two decades, was reportedly reintroduced in bilateral meetings earlier this month. However, senior officials from the Sri Lankan government have indicated that the island nation is currently not in a position to embrace land connectivity, citing technical, economic, and environmental challenges. According to diplomatic sources in Colombo, the matter was briefly touched upon during recent high-level talks, though it did not emerge as a focal agenda item. The Indian side reiterated its interest in strengthening regional mobility through the proposed bridge that could span the Palk Strait, drawing symbolic reference to the ancient Ram Setu – a limestone shoal chain mythologically linked to India’s epic traditions…| read more on Urban Acres