New Delhi, Dec 14 :  The Supreme Court Monday asked the central government how much more time it needed to examine the feasibility of having an alternate alignment for a shorter navigational sea route around India's southern tip, sparing any damage to the mythological Ram Sethu bridge.

"Can you tell how long exactly should the court wait, six months, one year or how much?" a bench of Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Justice R. V. Raveendran and Justice J. M. Panchal asked Additional Solicitor General Hiten Rawal as he sought more time for the expert committee appointed July last year.

"It does not look nice (that we keep on deferring our judgment on the issue)," remarked the bench.

The bench eventually adjourned the hearing till Feb 23, when the government will tell the court as to how much more time the panel needed to complete its work.

After hearing elaborate argument from various sides on whether the government could be allowed to build the shipping channel cutting across Rama Sethu, damaging the mythological bridge and hurting sentiments of millions of Hindus, the court had reserved its verdict July 30, 2008.

It said it would await the report of an expert committee, appointed by the government on the court's suggestion, to examine if an alternative alignment was feasible.

The Sethusamundram Shipping Channel is at present proposed along what is known as alignment 6, cutting through the mythological Rama Sethu. This alignment was chosen as it does not affect marine biological park off Rameshwaram Island in the Gulf of Mannar.

Alignment 4 had been abandoned by the government as it would have cut across the land mass of the Rameshwaram Island, besides damaging the marine biological park off it.

The apex court, which has already concluded its hearing on a bunch of lawsuits objecting to the damage to the Rama Sethu while building the shorter navigational sea route, had pointed out to the government that by choosing alignment 6, it has chosen to hurt faith rather than the environment.

Suggesting to the government to balance the issues of "faith and logic", the apex court in May last year asked the government to examine the feasibility of creating a shipping channel, which goes up to the land mass of Rameshwaram Island and then instead of cutting through it, takes a detour to Dhanushkodi, where it coincides with the original route of alignment 4.

Acceding to the court suggestion, the union government readily formed an expert panel for the purpose.

"The committee will quickly examine the feasibility of the alternative alignment suggested by the supreme court for the Sethusamundram Shipping Channel Project between Dhanishkodi and Land's End on Rameshwaran island keeping in view the technical aspects, cost benefit analysis, social and cultural impact, environmental impact, law and order aspect and any other related matters," then Cabinet Secretary K. M. Chandrashekar told the apex court while apprising it of the panel's formation.

But after more than 18 months since the panel's formation, the government Monday asked for yet more time to complete the probe.(IANS)