Human Rights Forum campaigns against oil extraction in Krishna

VIJAYAWADA:  Functionaries of the Human Rights Forum (HRF) campaigned in several villages of Movva and Machilipatnam mandals in Krishna district on Thursday exhorting people to oppose the proposed extraction of oil and gas by Vedanta in the area.

They distributed pamphlets in Telugu that detailed how the onshore extraction process is an extremely harmful and dangerous enterprise that could destroy the local environment and negatively impact the public health. In several street corner meetings and in schools, they explained how the extraction would contaminate the water and soil in the area with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.

HRF state secretary Y Rajesh urged people to attend the upcoming public hearing on the project slated on December 17 at ZP High School, Tarakatur village in Gudur mandal and to oppose the proposal. Referring to the process of hydraulic fracturing, he said it involves drilling huge amounts of water, chemicals and sand into the earth that was deleterious to the environment.

 “These extraction processes will kill the delicate ecological balance in a highly fertile region. Toxic chemicals that are unleashed will contaminate aquifers which is why fracking has been banned in many countries in Europe and many states in the USA.” The activists also campaigned in Kaza, Palankipadu, Paddarayuduthota, Matlamalapalli, Auvurupudi and Reddy Naidu Agraharam.