VIJAYAWADA: Oil and gas exploration, and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) will have a disastrous impact on people’s health, environment and economy, according to noted environmental scientist K Baburao of the Human Rights Forum (HRF).
He was speaking at a public meeting organised by the Forum and Krishna Zilla Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi in Machilipatnam on Sunday. The meet was intended to create awareness among locals about the dangers posed by the proposed oil and gas exploration project in Machilipatnam, Movva, Gudur and Pamarru mandals of Krishna district by Vedanta through its subsidiary Cairn Oil and Gas.
Baburao, who retired as the chief scientist of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, and Prof G Krishna Rao (retd) from the Geology department of Andhra University gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation.
He expounded upon various dimensions of the extraction process and stated that the exploration would have a deleterious impact on agriculture, and undermine water and food security in the region. “If allowed, this extraction would kill the delicate ecological balance in this very fertile area, and have a very serious long-term negative impact,” they stated.
K Suryanarayana of the KG Basin Parirakshana Samithi dwelt at length on the dangerous phenomena of land subsidence that was happening in East Godavari district because of oil and gas exploration there and the destruction it entailed. The meeting was presided over by HRF Krishna district convenor P Amareswara Rao, and Ch Ramakrishna of Krishna Zilla Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi. A large number of people from four mandals who attended the meeting later, resolved to oppose the project and preserve their lands.