Large Scale Protests Are The New Thing In Tamil Nadu

In the last few years Tamil Nadu has become increasingly familiar with a new phenomenon: large scale protests against development projects. While many such protests are based on legitimate concerns and objections there have also been a good number of protests fueled mainly by activists and sundry NGOs.

Here is a list of some major projects that have either been stalled, put on hold or scrapped due to large scale protests - with or without legitimate concerns. The latest one in this list is the hydrocarbon extraction projection in Neduvassal located in the Pudukkotai district of Tamil Nadu.

Hydrocarbon Extraction Project

Believing reports that the central government has granted permission for a hydrocarbon exploration and extraction project in their village, residents of Neduvasal launched agitations and hunger strikes. Their belief that agriculture and natural resources will be affected if the project goes ahead has drawn attention from various quarters.

Incidentally, back in the 1980s, Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) had dug wells to explore the presence of natural gases. It was later scrapped due to opposition. There do exist plans for extraction of crude oil from the region as part of a larger project but there is yet to be any confirmation from the government about the nature of these wells.

Activists have been raising their voices about depletion of groundwater resources in the area if the oil wells were dug.

GAIL Pipeline Through Coimbatore Region

The Kochi-Kootanad-Bengaluru-Mangalore pipeline was an ambitious project initiated in 2007 by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), a public sector undertaking, aimed at connecting the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to the national gas grid. GAIL and the Tamil Nadu government signed a formal Gas Cooperation Agreement in 2008. The project promised the common economic benefits of employment, development et al.

What stalled this project was that the pipelines, which have to pass through the region, would pass through the farmlands, where coconut, jackfruit, and mango were cultivated. GAIL submitted records in court, showing that over 91 per cent of the land to be acquired for the project were dry lands and less than 9 per cent were under cultivation. However irrational fears were whipped up by activists about how farm lands would be permanently destroyed in case of gas leakage etc led to widespread protests in the region.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Reactor (KKNPP)

Nuclear power is usually prone to be criticised and misunderstood. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Reactor project was no different. It is the single largest nuclear power station in India, situated in the Tirunelveli district. Construction of the plant began on 31 March 2002, but faced several delays due to opposition from the local fishermen. KKNPP is scheduled to have six VVER-1000 reactors built in collaboration with Atomstroyexport, the Russian state company and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), with an installed capacity of 6,000 MW of electricity.

The over 500-day long protest against the plant, spearheaded by People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, citing safety concerns, has largely contributed to the delay in the commissioning of the plant. The protests were widely covered by the media and remained the headline story for many weeks. The government did finally go ahead with the commissioning of the reactors.

India-Based Neutrino Observatory (INO)

One of the country's biggest science projects in years, the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), an underground laboratory primarily aimed at the study of atmospheric neutrinos, was delayed because the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) neither granted clearance nor disapproved the project. The project, which was cleared by the Centre in 2015, hit a roadblock after Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko moved the Madras High Court arguing that the project will be disastrous for the people in the vicinity.

Villagers around the Theni mountain, which was the site of the project, were concerned that the deep-drilling to build an underground tunnel, will destabilise the mountain. Despite several assurances by various scientist groups, apprehensions were high. Concerns over the ecological impact of the construction process too were raised. The team leading the project went on record to reassure the villagers that there will be hardly any disturbance during and after the construction period.

Sterlite Factory, Tuticorin

The company engages primarily in the production of copper in Tuticorin. Its products include copper cathodes; and cast copper rods, used in various industries. A series of protests were launched after emission of sulphur dioxide from Sterlite factory in the early hours on 23 March 2013, when the protesters claimed people were affected by it. People claimed that besides causing a threat to the survival of people, the livelihood of farmers and fishermen had been affected owing to pollution from the company.

A case was filed against the company, demanding its closure. Sterlite's legal issues are broadly on four fronts: one, its location – it is too close to the ecologically sensitive region of the Gulf of Mannar; two, sufficient green belt around the factory was not created; third, public hearings were not held before giving the plant a go-ahead; and lastly, pollutants from the factory were seeping into the groundwater. The saga for the company isn't over yet, and neither likely to be solved soon.