Farmers celebrate Edappadi K Palaniswami’s protected agri zone move

TRICHY: Delta farmers have welcomed chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s promise at Salem that the Cauvery delta region would be converted into a protected agricultural zone. While celebrating the announcement by bursting crackers and distributing sweets, they demanded immediate steps for its implementation. They said the government must pass an ordinance and urge the Centre to publish it in its gazette.
Farmers of Neduvasal, the village that was the centre of hydrocarbon protests, urged the state to pass a resolution in the ensuing budget session. K K R Lenin, founder and president of the movement against destruction, said the initiative might stop the Union government from exploring oil wells on agriculture land but not in the sea. “As per the contract awarded to Vedanta groups, they may execute explorations in the sea by using horizontal pipes towards seashore. The government should ensure that does not happen,” he said. Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of Thanjavur district Cauvery farmers protection association, said it was former chief minister J Jayalalithaa who proposed the scheme and the present chief minister had endorsed it. “The government should withdraw cases registered against those who protested hydrocarbon exploration,” he said.
Puliyur A Nagarajan of Tamil Manila Congress farmers’ wing said delta farmers’ 25-year-long demand has been fulfilled. However, Bharatiya Kisan Sangam was circumspect. “When the environment ministry exempted hydrocarbon exploration activities from the rigour of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public consultation through public hearings, how will the CM’s announcement become a reality,” said sangam state spokesperson N Veerasekaran. “However, if the chief minister will make it a reality, it would benefit the entire farming community,” he said.
It may be recalled that almost all the village panchayats in delta region had adopted a unanimous resolution opposing hydrocarbon exploration projects in the delta. “Merely an announcement is not enough. The government must pass an ordinance and urge the Union government to publish it in its gazette,” said the general secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association Mannargudi S Ranganathan.