Farmers, joined by residents of Sengippatti and nearby villages in Thanjavur district, on Wednesday staged a protest against the laying of an underground pipeline to be used for transporting petroleum products through farmlands
Protesters raise slogans against the oil company's underground pipeline, in Sengippatti on Wednesday
Thiruchirapalli:
Hundreds of pipes were brought in lorries to Sengippatti located on the Thanjavur-Tiruchy Main Road on Tuesday night. As information about the arrival of pipes spread, farmers association leaders, including N V Kannan, the district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, V Jeeva Kumar, the district vice-president of farm workers union, C Baskar, the Budalur south union secretary of the CPM, reached the spot. Along with villagers and farmers, they then staged a sit-in protest. Later, when another lorry carrying pipelines arrived at the spot, the protesters prevented it from being unloaded. Raising slogans against the proposed hydrocarbon exploration projects planned in the delta districts, they wanted ONGC and Vedanta to desist from operating in the Cauvery delta region.
Later, police and revenue officials arrived at the spot and held talks with the protesters. After receiving assurance from the officials that the pipes would be removed from the spot soon, they dispersed from the spot. However, they warned that they would remove the pipelines by themselves if the officials fail to honour their promise within two days’ time.
Sources said work is under way on laying the 114 km-long Cauvery Basin Refinery-Tiruchy (CBRT) pipeline, passing through Nagappattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Tiruchy districts. The pipeline, which would be used to transport petrol, diesel and kerosene, passes through as many as 75 villages in these five districts, they said.
Hundreds of pipes were brought in lorries to Sengippatti located on the Thanjavur-Tiruchy Main Road on Tuesday night. As information about the arrival of pipes spread, farmers association leaders, including N V Kannan, the district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, V Jeeva Kumar, the district vice-president of farm workers union, C Baskar, the Budalur south union secretary of the CPM, reached the spot. Along with villagers and farmers, they then staged a sit-in protest. Later, when another lorry carrying pipelines arrived at the spot, the protesters prevented it from being unloaded. Raising slogans against the proposed hydrocarbon exploration projects planned in the delta districts, they wanted ONGC and Vedanta to desist from operating in the Cauvery delta region.
Later, police and revenue officials arrived at the spot and held talks with the protesters. After receiving assurance from the officials that the pipes would be removed from the spot soon, they dispersed from the spot. However, they warned that they would remove the pipelines by themselves if the officials fail to honour their promise within two days’ time.
CPM to hold mega protest meet in Neduvasal
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to organise a ‘mega’ protest meeting against the proposed hydrocarbon project, in Neduvasal on June 10.
The decision was arrived at a meeting of the CPM’s district unit, held in Pudukkottai on Wednesday. The meeting resolved to prevent the hydrocarbon extraction project at any cost.
Claiming that the Centre is determined to implement the project, the CPM members said the fertile Cauvery delta would become a desert if that happened.
“This project has been initiated to help corporate firms like Vedanta,” said district secretary S Kavivarman, adding that the party cadre would commence a public awareness campaign in this regard from June 5.
A series of awareness programmes would be held on June 8 and 9 at Gandharvakottai. State leaders of the CPM and those from other political parties would participate in the ‘mega’ protest meeting, in Neduvasal on June 10.
Members of various political parties, social activists, students and members of the public are expected to participate in the meetings.
Tie-up no hurdle for PMK's stand on hydrocarbon
PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said the party would oppose the hydrocarbon project eventhough it is part of the AIADMK-BJP alliance.
Addressing the media at Chennai Airport, Anbumani said, “Cauvery delta has been providing food for us for several centuries and it should provide food for coming generations. In the fertile land no schemes such as hydrocarbon or methane extraction should be implemented and if implemented PMK will continue to protest as it did in the past”.
Anbumani returned from Delhi after participating in the meeting organised by the BJP. While returning he said that though PMK is part of AIADMK-BJP alliance it will fight against the hydrocarbon schemes. “Central government should not implement hydrocarbon extraction scheme in the state and if implemented PMK will not hesitate to protest against the scheme”, said Anbumani.
He also said that just because PMK is part of an alliance does not mean that the party had compensated their ideology. “We have formed alliance and that does not mean that our ideologies were compromised for the alliance. We are still firm in our ideology and we will continue to protest for it”, said Anbumani.