The protesters are gathering again in Tamil Nadu’s Neduvasal village in Pudukkottai district. Not just that, the village residents have started ‘mobilising support from adjacent villages, including Vadakadu, Pattukkottai, Karambakkudi and Aranthangi, and decided to form a core committee to oppose the project,’ the New Indian Express reported yesterday.
Reason? The Union government on Wednesday awarded contracts of discovered small fields of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India Limited. The contracts were awarded for 31 areas to 22 companies. Neduvasal area is also part of the contract and has been awarded to GEM Laboratories.
Talking to the TNIE, K Dakshinamoorthy, representative of Neduvasal protesters, said:
Earlier Swarajya in its ground report had shown how ‘Full-Time Protesters’ were using Social Media to whip up fears against hydrocarbon project. Here, we had explained why Neduvasala residents are jittery about hydrocarbon exploration.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. Many believe that the government is looking to produce coal-bed methane and shale gas. However, Pawan Kumar, Group General Manager-Basin Manager, Cauvery, of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has clarified that this is not the case. He told Frontline:
On the fears of groundwater getting contaminated, Frontline quoted him saying that
Some have raised objections on this project saying that the hydrocarbon extraction will lead to environmental problems and cause pollution. Talking to Frontline, Kumar said
Dispelling the fears that production of oil would cause cancer to those living in the area, Kumar rubbed some crude oil on his hands to show that it had no harmful effects, Frontline reported.
Also Read: Neduvasal: ‘Full-Time Protesters’ Use Social Media To Whip Up Fears Against Hydrocarbon Project
Comments ↓
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.