Hydrocarbon project: ONGC seeks clearance for 104 more wells

This has now made the farmers more determined to intensify their stir, with some planning to make it a people’s movement. 

While environmental clearance for 341 wells was sought in October 2018, covering an area of 6,000 sq km for which the Vedanta group invested Rs 13,500 crore for their 274 wells and the ONGC spent Rs 5,150 crore for their 67 wells, permission for 27 wells was given to ONGC. This triggered protests across the State and farmers, who along with activists and political parties, registered a human chain protest last Sunday. 

In this backdrop, the ONGC has sought environmental clearance for digging 104 wells. The letter further said that ONGC plans on investing Rs 1,560 crore on this and acquire 176 hectares of land, also covering farm land. Environmental activists say that the Centre continues to be negligent towards the people of Tamil Nadu, hence they continue to implement anti-people projects. 

“TN is the only state which has been opposing the project. The government never bothered about the people and plans to penalise protesters with police support. This is the time when the people of TN should unite and oppose these projects,” Professor T Jayaraman, Chief Coordinator, Federation of Anti-Methane Projects, told DT Next.

Jayaraman added that food production in the Cauvery Delta has dipped to 37 per cent from 60. “This move shows how the governments instigate hatred against the people. Through these projects, TN will certainly lose its food security,” he said. Stating that the hydraulic fracturing process in drilling would affect ground water in the region, Jayaraman said the people of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore and Thanjavur would have to relocate as lands would turn barren. 

“This is the Indian government’s genocide,” he claimed. PS Masilamani, Farmers leader from Tiruvarur who has been spearheading the protests said the government has been conspiring to wipe out the farming community from Cauvery Delta. MDMK leader, Vaiko, on Wednesday, condemned ONGC for seeking permission to dig the wells, saying that the State would now turn into a desert.   

Condemning the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for seeking permission to dig more than 100 wells for hydrocarbon extraction in the State, MDMK leader Vaiko on Wednesday said that the State would only turn into a desert if the government gave its nod for the project.    

Vaiko, in a statement, said, “We are protesting to have the Cauvery delta region declared as agriculture-protected zone and to stop the existing hydrocarbon extraction projects, but ONGC has sought permission for digging additional 104 wells in the State. 

If this is permitted, the State will turn into a desert and so both the State and the Centre should deny permission to dig additional wells”.

ONGC recently sought the permission from the Central government for digging additional wells, including 15 in Nagapattinam district, 59 in Tiruvarur district, 17 in Thanjavur district, three in Ariyalur district, seven in Cuddalore district and three more in Ramanathapuram district. The development was widely condemned by farmers, activists and by opposition parties. 

The MDMK chief added that he along with opposition leaders had, in fact, participated in a human chain protest stretching from Marakkanam in Villupuram district to Ramanathapuram against the hydrocarbon extraction scheme in the State. 

Vaiko further alleged that the Centre had disrespected the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu. “People are erupting against the hydrocarbon extraction scheme, but the Centre without caring for the sentiments of the people, is proceeding with the hydrocarbon extraction scheme by continuing to allot more hydrocarbon extraction wells,” he said. 

ONGC was already given permission to dig 27 wells for hydrocarbon extraction in the State, and giving the nod for 104 more wells would only result in destruction of agriculture and desertification of the Cauvery delta region, he added.