Tiruvarur farmers defy nod for drilling hydrocarbon wells

P R Pandian, the General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers association and the Coordinator of All Tamil Nadu famers associations, who came out after appearing in court at Mannargudi on a case against him for obstructing the work of ONGC at Vikrapandipuram, said that if the ONGC tried to dig new wells, farmers would hold a massive protest and stop the attempts.

Pointing out that in 2013 when drilling was taken up at Periyakudi without permission and gas was gushing out precariously, he said the project was stopped after protests by farmers. Similarly, when preliminary work for a new well commenced at Vikrapandiapuram, ryots staged a massive agitation. “Police then foisted cases against the farmers, including those who were not even part of the protest,” Pandian alleged and charged that the ONGC was intimidating farmers using the police force. He appealed to the Chief Minister to withdraw the cases foisted against farmers.

Meanwhile, P S Masilamani, the state deputy president of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, said that many political parties assured during the election campaign that the delta region would be declared as protected agriculture zone. At this juncture, what was the urgency for the Union Government to grant nod to ONGC to dig wells, he wondered and demanded the Centre to withdraw the approval for the EIA. Masilamani also urged the state Government not to give environment clearance for the wells.

V Sethuraman, environmental activist from Mannargudi pointing out that the new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) introduced by the Union Government in 2016 paved the way for single licence for crude exploration along with Coal Bed Methane (CMB), Shale gas and tight gas exploration said, now, the ONGC has been given nod for EIA for 40 wells. The ONGC proposed to explore tight gas in 15 places in Tiruvarur, six spots in Nagappattinam and nine locations in Cuddalore district, he added.

Similarly, farmers, activists and protest coordinators in Nagapattinam district also strongly condemned the Centre’s move. “The ONGC already has 27 permits in the delta region, and now has been granted 40 more. No hearing was conducted to ascertain views of the public. It is pretty clear that the governments do not act in the interest of the people,” accused Professor T Jayaraman, the Chief Coordinator of Anti-Methane Project Movement.