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Despite opposition, laying of gas pipes continues across fertile lands in Nagai
Despite stern opposition to ONGC projects in the State, the oil and gas major was reportedly observed on Wednesday as continuing to lay gas pipelines across fertile lands in Nagapattinam district.
By
migrator
migrator
Thiruchirapalli
Farmers across the Cauvery delta, alongside the public, have been over the last few months staging a series of protests against hydrocarbon extraction, shale and GAIL projects, which they claim turn cultivable lands into barren parts.
While the State Minister for Mines and Minerals, CV Shanmugam, had recently declared on the Assembly floor that the State government will never allow any anti-people projects, including hydrocarbon extraction, in Tamil Nadu, multinational firms like ONGC-which have already dug wells-reportedly continue to lay pipelines across lands in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts.
Though farmers and the public have been showing their stiff opposition to the projects and demand the government to withdraw them as it would affect their agricultural activities, ONGC is stated to be firm in continuing works as per schedule.
On Wednesday, ONGC undertook the laying of pipeline for a distance of 29 km from Mathanam village to Memathur via Nangur, Kathirippu, Thalaichankad and Kalahasthinathapuram villages near Sirkazhi. The pipelines have been reportedly laid along the lands which have already commenced the cultivation of kuruvai with the help of ground water.
When people opposed to the pipe laying works, ONGC officials had reportedly clarified that the pipes were used only for transporting crude oil. However, locals felt it was for hydrocarbon extraction project. Pipe laying works continue amidst police protection.
Protest over waterbodies project held
Farmers from Pattukkottai and Peravurani in Thanjavur district on Wednesday staged a black-badge protest condemning the Chief Minister’s project to form 100 new waterbodies in the Western region of the State.
The protesting farmers, who participated in the taluk farmers’ grievance meet, claimed that CM Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted to divert the Cauvery water to these proposed waterbodies, leaving the Cauvery delta districts which are dependent on the Cavuery, bereft of water for their agricultural activities.
According to Veerasenan of Ponnavarayankottai, the CM announced the project for the welfare of the Mettur, Omalur, Edappadi and Sangagiri constituencies and told the farmers there that those waterbodies would be filled with Cauvery water. “This is worse than the Karnataka Chief Minister’s announcement of the construction of Mekedatu dam, and both would affect the Cauvery Delta district farmers”, he claimed.
Veerasenan also claimed that once the project gets completed, water would never reach the Grand Anicut, and hence no water would be available in any of the waterbodies which use to support the farmers of the Cavuery delta region. Subsequently, the farmers assembled raised slogans against the Chief Minister and demanded to scrap the project.
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