Mumbai: Opponents of the proposed West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical project in Ratnagiri on Monday, while reiterating their demand to scrap the project, refused to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after learning that only one representative would be allowed to attend the meeting.
The ‘green refinery’ project has been facing strong opposition from the locals since it was proposed to be built at Sagve Nanar, Rajapur and Devgad. On September 9, nearly 3,500 locals held a rally against the project in Rajapur taluka.
“The government has misled farmers and villagers to make them accept the project and to acquire their land for free. This so-called green refinery shall be the most harmful project in the history of all projects. The refinery shall release hazardous gases like So2 (sulphur dioxide) NOx (nitrogen oxides) and carbon dioxide in abundance. In addition, the project will also lead to an increase in particulate suspended matter and oil spills in the Waghotane creek, endangering the life and livelihood of villagers,” said Rajendra Phatarekar, a resident and activist.
The refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, with the capacity to refine 60 million metric tonnes per annum, is estimated to be built at a cost of US $40 billion. The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. have formed a joint venture to set up the project.
In a statement, the protesters cited reports by the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan committees to say that the area is eco-sensitive, and said that the refinery would destroy the flora and fauna in Rajapur and Devgad.
The government is hoping to commission the refinery in 2022, and the land acquisition process has already started. In May, 15,000 acres in Rajapur and 1,000 acres in Devgad were declared as industrial zones under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation Act, and in September, the process of acquiring land from farmers was started by issuing individual notices.
Ashok Walam, a local farmer, said, “The government has kept us landowners in the dark. It need to understand that an illiterate farmer does not have the ability to completely understand a government notice. The authorities cannot expect us to vacate our land and support them in this destructive project. The proposal claims that the required fresh water will be generated from sea water, which shall destroy the marine life completely, as the process would lead to imbalance in the oxygen level in the sea.”
Mr. Walam questioned why the government chose Konkan as the location for hazardous projects, referring to the Jaitapur nuclear plant, which is also facing opposition.
The Shiv Sena said on Monday it was against the refinery as it threatens to destroy in Konkan. “We are going to inform the CM about our opposition. We want the government to bring clean projects to the green region of Konkan,” State Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said.