Chennai: Political parties and fishermen from the coastal districts of Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari have staunchly opposed the hydrocarbon exploration project in Ramanathapuram district and demanded the Centre to revoke the project.
Following widespread protests, the Tamil Nadu government has directed the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority to withdraw the clearance granted to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd for hydrocarbon exploration.
The TNSEIAA had granted clearance to the ONGC to carry out onshore hydrocarbon exploration drilling at 20 wells in Ramanathapuram district.
According to environmentalist and president of Neithal Makkal Katchi Ku Bharathi, the Union Petroleum Ministry had identified hydrocarbon reserves in 30,000 square kilometers of shallow sea areas and 95,000 square km of deep-sea areas adjacent to it in the landmasses of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, following the auction of the blocks in February this year.
“The project would affect the livelihood of the people in 608 fishing villages in 14 coastal districts,” he said.
“Already, faced with the crisis of depleting fisheries resources, the fishers were left with no option but to take deep-sea fishing. This hydrocarbon project should be abrogated in the interest of the fisheries sector and the coastal environment,” Bharathi told news agency.
Fishermen from the coastal districts have been protesting against the project and have demanded Centre to cancel it.
Opposing the project, ruling DMK’s ally, MDMK has sought the state government to revoke the environmental clearance given for the project. “It’s a threat to fishermen’s livelihood and the environment,” MDMK chief Vaiko said.
“The Union government should review and withdraw the environmental clearance granted by the Tamil Nadu government to the ONGC hydrocarbon gas extraction project,” Vaiko said in a statement here.
While the AIADMK had opposed the project at the initial stage of permitting the ONGC to take up drilling and demanded the project be scrapped, PMK has expressed concerns that the drilling could cause seawater to contaminate the groundwater.
Claiming that the ONGC had applied for the clearance in October 2023, PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss alleged that the wells were dug up to 3,000 feet below the ground. “The technology used for hydrocarbon extraction would cause earthquakes and other disasters. Moreover, the entire district would transform into a desert,” Anbumani said in a statement.
Reiterating that the State government would not permit the project, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu had recently stated that “It’s the policy of the Chief Minister M K Stalin to safeguard the welfare of the people, and not to allow the hydrocarbon project in any part of Tamil Nadu”.