A long-drawn-out drought, official lethargy, and, according to some, caste factors, have all contributed to the intensifying row over the oil wells of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Kadiramangalam village in Thanjavur district.
Since 2002, the ONGC has sunk 11 oil wells in the vicinity of Kadiramangalam village for producing oil and natural gas, which is pumped to the Kuttalam refinery a few kilometres away through pipelines. Against this backdrop, the villagers have reported a steep drop in groundwater levels and have alleged that sub-surface water has become polluted, adversely impacting agriculture and people’s livelihoods. The villagers’ struggle intensified when ONGC officials attempted to carry out routine maintenance work at an oil well a fortnight ago. The agitators now want to “oust the ONGC from the village.”
‘Officials apathetic’
As a resolution continues to elude the dispute, several organisations and opposition parties are looking to adopt an aggressive stance. Over 60 cadre of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Social Democratic Party of India were arrested on Sunday when they attempted to reach the village to express their solidarity with the agitators. “There has been no attempt by the ONGC and the State administration to clarify our doubts and concerns about the changing colour of drinking water in the village. Keep the water for just one hour and it changes to brownish-yellow. Does ordinary water get discoloured like this? Why don’t the officials test the water’s quality and come clean on the issue of contamination?” fumes K. Thenmozhi, who, along with J. Kavitha and S. Jayanthi, was among a group of women involved in a heated discussion on the issue at Karupatti Street in the village.
Cancer claims
The villagers also allege a spike in dermatological problems as a result of consuming contaminated water. While some say cattle have also been affected, there are those who go as far as claiming that the issue has resulted in cases of cancer. “Claims on cancer and other diseases might be exaggerated and can’t be borne out by figures. However, it is a fact that the water here is contaminated. But the problem has more to do with continued drought than any sudden development. There has been no inflow for months in rivers like Cauvery and Veera Cholan, which is a major factor,’’ says a pharmacist based out of the village.
There are also those who point to an underlying caste factor. The agitation is being led by the members of the dominant caste in the village. The talk of the ONGC “consuming the people’s lands, just like the Neyveli Lignite Corporation did”, has been doing the rounds. A recent fiery speech by PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has been well-received by a majority of the protesters here.
Some officials say Friday’s clash between the police and the protesters could have been avoided. “The District Collector could have simply passed on the information to the public that he was attending the Chief Secretary’s video conference and would be visiting the village later in the day to meet its inhabitants. He arrived there late in the day, after efforts by other officials to make peace with the villagers failed miserably. When he returned there on Saturday and Sunday, the irate villagers were in no mood to meet him,” a Revenue department official rued.
With major opposition parties and other organisations drawing up plans to intensify their stir in the second week of July, some sections of the villagers say it is high time that all stakeholders come together and find a practical solution to the issue, lest the situation gets out of hand.
