The Sethusamudram Ship Canal connecting the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar will be constructed by dredging a channel in the existing coastal waters either side of the Palk Bay. The canal will reduce the steaming distances between the east and west coast of India and will improve navigation within the territorial waters of India. It is a challenging project which will impose a range of impacts both in the short and long term on the coastal waters of both India and Sri Lanka.