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.
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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.