Centre Invites Bids For Hydrocarbon Exploration In Tamil Nadu’s Gulf Of Mannar, Sparking Environmental Concerns

In a recent tender for hydrocarbon exploration, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has included approximately 9,900 sq km in the deep-sea region off the southern Tamil Nadu coast in the Gulf of Mannar for oil and natural exploration, reported The Hindu.

Part of the Ministry’s 10th round of the Open Acreage Policy which invites companies to submit bids for exploration rights, the tender covers 25 offshore regions expanding over an area of 1,91,986 sq km.

This is the largest acreage offered in a single bid round under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy regime.

The Ministry has identified potential hydrocarbon reserves in deep sea areas off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the Gulf of Mannar, covering Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts.

However, environmentalists have raised concerns about the detrimental impact of oil and gas exploration on marine life and local fishing activities, The Hindu reported.

The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve is home to multiple rare and endangered species, such as green sea turtles, sea horses, marine mammal dugongs, etc. 

The ecosystem is rich in coral reefs and seagrass, which support a variety of marine organisms.

According to the report, environmentalists and fishermen have pointed out that the Union government’s push for hydrocarbon exploration could result in an irreversible damage to environment and threaten the livelihoods of local communities.

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