Cultivation continues near Neduvasal

Ministry says farming won’t be hit

March 10, 2017 04:25 am | Updated 04:25 am IST - PUDUKOTTAI

PUDUKOTTAI, TAMIL NADU, 08/03/2017:- Waste Oil Tank near the exploratory well at Karunalandar Kollai Village in Pudukotai District.
Photo: M. Moorthy

PUDUKOTTAI, TAMIL NADU, 08/03/2017:- Waste Oil Tank near the exploratory well at Karunalandar Kollai Village in Pudukotai District. Photo: M. Moorthy

While the hydrocarbon exploration and extraction project at Neduvasal and its surroundings has raised apprehensions among farmers that their livelihood would be wiped out, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and ONGC contend that oil and gas extraction will not hamper agriculture in nearby areas.

No apparent impact on the neighbouring agricultural fields was visible around an exploration well sunk by ONGC at Vaanakankadu, a village neighbouring Neduvasal.

Crops have been raised on the neighbouring fields around the exploration well at Vaanakankadu. M. Rajesh (25), son of the late T. Marimuthu of Vaanakankadu who had given two acres of land for the exploration well, has even taken up cultivation on a part of the land (about 0.45 acres) adjacent to the well. The ONGC continues to pay ₹46,000 an acre to the family after Marimuthu’s death due to cancer in 2015.

Mr. Rajesh says there was no specific restriction on taking up cultivation on the piece of land. However, he says oil oozes out of the well periodically and when it rains, water mixed with the oil overflows from the well platform into the cultivated land.

But at Karu Nallandarkollai, about two kilometres away from Neduvasal, no cultivation is done at the site where an exploration well is situated. P. Kulandai Velar, who along with his brother had given six acres for the well, says no cultivation could be taken up at the site any more.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.