Pamban is India’s first vertical lift sea bridge. The new Pamban Bridge will replace the old 1914-built bridge, which was closed in 2022 due to corrosion issues.
Connectivity between India and Sri Lanka has been expanding over the years. Ferry services between the two have been resumed – passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai near Jaffna was relaunched in October 2023. An ambitious land bridge project across the Palk Strait between Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka has also been proposed.
Modi will be in Sri Lanka from April 4-6 during which he will be in Colombo and Anuradhapura. The latter has been Sri Lanka’s old capital. In the 3rd century BCE, during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa, Emperor Ashoka sent his son Mahendra to Anuradhapura which became a major centre for Theravada Buddhism, hosting philosophers like Buddhaghosa.
During the visit, Modi will launch NTPC Sampur Solar Project in Trincomalee district of eastern Sri Lanka which is a joint venture between India’s National Thermal Power Corporation and Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board. In Anuradhapura, Modi may launch a railway project.