Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy’s reservations against the hydrocarbon exploration and extraction project proposed to be set up at Neduvasal in Pudukottai is not without reasons and no one can question the intentions of the people agitating demanding the scrapping of the project, according to a United Nations expert on climate change and environment based in Chennai.
P Ananthanarayanan, assessor for Clean Development Mechanism for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said the proposed hydrocarbon project is detrimental to Neduvasal and surrounding areas because of a number of reasons.
“The hydrocarbon project is nothing but shale gas embedded deep under the earth’s surface. This could be extracted only by the process which is known as fracking. This involves pumping a mixture of water, sand, ceramic materials and a number of chemicals under high pressure to bring out the shale gas.
It is certain that the ground water tables as well as water bodies in the region will be destroyed once and for ever,” said Ananthanarayanan, an engineer-turned-environment auditor.
He pointed out that the process of fracking has been banned by all developed countries in the world. “The Daniel Andres-led government in Victoria announced a permanent ban on the exploration and development of all onshore unconventional gas including hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and coal steam gas. This happened in August 2016,” said this UN expert.
A report by Food and Water Watch, a world body fighting for healthy food and clean for humanity says the USA, Britain, Canada, Germany and Spain have banned the extraction of hydrocarbons by the process of fracking. Ananthanarayanan added hydrocarbon extraction projects are set up at least 50-km away from human habitation. The ONGC masquerades the Neduvasal project as a hydrocarbon extraction project while it is a shale gas plan. “The Environmental impact Analysis Report say that all these projects are close to villages and towns. The project should never have come at Neduvasa or any regions with human habitation,” he said.
Though all major political parties have expressed their solidarity with the people of Neduvasal in their agitation against the shale gas project, the BJP gives out the image of a house divided.
Tamilissai Sounderarjan, state chief, told The Pioneer that the interests of farmers in Cauvery Delta should be protected. But she declined to answer whether the project should be scrapped.
l Ganeshan, MP and former party chief, alleged that a section of the people who has not understood the project were attempting to influence the public opinion by spreading false news. His stance had its repercussion on Sunday when a section of young volunteers at Neduvasal raised slogans against the BJP and H Raja, its national secretary, who called on the agitators to persuade them to withdraw the agitation.
The ruling AIADMK has made it known that it would not allow any projects which are opposed by the farmers. Vijaya Bhaskar, Minister of health, had asked TANGEDCO not to supply power to the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal.
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