Agitation against Neduvasal hydrocarbon project in Tamil Nadu intensifies with each passing day

'United we stand, divided we fall' seems to be the war cry for the residents of Neduvasal, Tamil Nadu. The local people who have been protesting against the hydrocarbon project which is due to come up on an agricultural land in the area have been joined by students, farmers and activists.

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The protesters held a three-hour-long meeting on Monday, February 27, at the end of which the residents of Neduvasal and over 75 other neighbouring villages chalked out a plan to intensify their protest. The protesters, which have organised themselves under the Neduvasal Hydrocarbon Agitation Committee, have decided to launch various forms of agitations in days to come.

Here's the protest plan

• The agitators will surrender their Aadhaar cards, ration cards and other identification documents. They will also form a human chain from Neduvasal to Pudukottai, hoist black flags and light traditional lamps at all houses in the villages.
• They will also approach the National Green Tribunal in order to get the Centre suspend the hydrocarbon project.
• According to The Hindu, the villagers also want the the Centre to declare the Cauvery delta region as a protected agricultural zone to stop exploitation of natural resources in future.
• Special gram sabha meetings will also be held to come up with resolutions against the hydrocarbon project.

About the project

Back in 2009, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had dug wells in two places of the village which started leaking oils. While the owner of the land rented his land for Rs 1.5 lakh a year, the ONGC has now determined the presence of hydrocarbons in the land. The Centre has also given a green signal to set up a hydrocarbon exploration and extraction project in the village.

Why this protest?

Besides, the farmers fear that there will be a massive depletion of groundwater sources along with pollution. The villagers are also afraid that a leakage may also make them vulnerable to cancer.

According to Live Mint, Parthibana a native of Neduvasal, who works in Chennai said: "Out of over 1,500 people in Neduvasal, around 500 work outside in urban centres. Of these 500, nearly 100 work in oil companies in Gulf countries and know exactly how harmful and complicated this hydrocarbon extraction can be for agricultural fields".

Who joined the protest?

Apart from the farmers and villagers of Neduvasal and other neighbouring villages, students and youths of villages in Pudukottai district have been distributing pamphlets to raise awareness.

Environmentalists like Nityanand Jayaraman have also criticised the ONGC's poor record in managing pollution in oil facilities in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu.

While the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi announced a protest in Neduvasal village on Monday, the Pattali Makkal Katchi will stage a protest against the project in Neduvasal and Karaikal on March 3.

Youths from various parts of the state have been camping in the village for the past 10 days and making the villagers aware of the hazards of the project besides mobilising support through social media.

Students from various colleges in Tiruvarur, Pudukottai and Tiruchi districts also boycotted their classes to protest against the project.

Actor Kamal Haasan has also voiced out his opposition on Twitter.