The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ONGC pilot project: people’s apprehensions allayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

ONGC pilot project: people’s apprehensions allayed

Staff Reporter

Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board organises public hearing

No threat to health and safety of local people: NEERI
Seismic survey shows the availability of oil and gas deposits in the area

— Photo: M. Anil Kumar

Safety concerns: A villager, Ch.Ramakrishna, participating in a public hearing on a pilot project of oil and gas exploration proposed to be undertaken by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Makkinavarigudem in West Godavari district on Wednesday.

MAKKINAVARIGUDEM (WEST GODAVARI DIST): The public hearing on the offshore oil and gas exploration by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in this upland village in T. Narsapur mandal of West Godavari district on a pilot basis, was marked by the fears by local people over safety to their lives and properties.

Public hearing

The public hearing was organised by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board at this village on Wednesday, involving the officials from the ONGC and environmentalists from National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) based at Nagpur, as part of fulfilling the statutory obligation.

Drilling operations

“The blow out at a drilling site at Pasarlapudi in East Godavari district is still afresh in our minds.

Kindly, ensure safety measures against the incidence of such accidents in our village”, Ch. Ramakrishna, a farmer, pleaded with the ONGC officials.

Another farmer, Kakarla Venkata Rao, requested the ONGC authorities to suspend the drilling operations during the night so as to reduce the noise levels and provide conducive atmosphere to the people around for a sleep.

Scientists team

Akula Satyanarayana expressed the fear that the existing agricultural bores would go dry in view of the ONGC’s exploration activities.

T.V.P.B.S. Ramakrishna of NEERI sought to allay the fears expressed by the villagers over safety to their lives and properties by claiming that the Environment Impact Analysis (EIA) conducted by a team of scientists from NEERI had revealed that the drilling operation would no way cause any threat to the health and safety of the local people and environment in the area.

K.V. Rangachari, General Manager, Krishna-Godavari Basin of ONGC, said a site admeasuring 4.1 acres was chosen at the village for drilling operations as part of the ONGC’s plans to extend its operations to the hitherto non-exploration areas in the basin.

Seismic survey conducted by the NEERI showed the availability of oil and gas deposits in the area.

If the deposits available in the area were proved to be conducive for further operations in terms of techno-economic feasibility, the ONGC would go ahead.

If it was proved the other way round, the ONGC would cap the well and return from the site, Mr. Rangachari explained.

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