The Indian Oil Corporation officials who faced opposition from residents of Surakottai on Friday have maintained that laying of oil pipeline in agricultural fields would in no way affect agricultural operations.
The IOC (Construction Wing) officials, who came to Surakottai on Friday had a discussion with the villagers where they explained about the purpose of laying oil pipeline from their crude oil refinery at Narimanam in Nagapattinam district to the storage facility at Valamarkottai in Tiruchi district.
Pointing out that out of the 116 km underground pipeline laying work, pipes have been laid for a distance of 68 kilometre from Narimanam to Ammapettai in Thanjavur district, they clarified to the villagers that the pipes were laid at a depth of 6 feet to transport crude oil by-products only and not for hydrocarbon extraction.
Compensation for laying pipeline through the agricultural field were provided to the landowners and in case any issue of leakage from the pipeline arose the loss suffered due to such incidents would also be compensated, they said.
However, the villagers refused to accept the clarification and asked the IOC officials to lay their pipes along the road kerb and not through the fertile lands.
The visit of IOC officials to Surakottai on Friday was the sequel to protest from villagers earlier when materials brought for carrying out the pipeline laying work a few weeks ago resulted in the materials being sent back to the depot, sources said.
