VIJAYAWADA: With the public hearing on the proposed extraction of oil and gas in Kaza Block of Krishna district just a day away, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has stepped up its campaign against the project in the villages of Movva, Guduru and Machilipatnam mandals.
Functionaries of the Human Rights Forum, SC, ST, BC Chinna Kulala Aikya Vedika and several advocates from the affected villages visited the villages of Movva, Guduru and Machilipatnam mandals of Krishna district in the last two days and urged people to oppose the proposed extraction of oil and gas by Vedanta company.
Addressing meetings, they explained to locals that the onshore extraction process is extremely harmful and dangerous to the environment and that it will damage people's health. They also distributed pamphlets explaining how such extraction will seriously undermine agriculture in the area and turn the land toxic. The activists also launched a signature campaign against the project in which people in large numbers participated.
Referring to the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract gas, the activists explained that it involved pumping huge amounts of water laced with chemicals and sand up to depths of 4,000 meters into the earth, under very high pressure. It is a highly intensive process, which will contaminate groundwater, they reasoned.
The forum functionaries stated that the process will seriously upset the delicate ecological balance in the fertile areas of the district, served by the Bandar canal. It was fraught with huge risks which was why fracking was shelved in many countries in the West, they stated.
Among those who participated in the campaign were HRF State secretary Y Rajesh, convenors of HRF Krishna district unit P Amar and G Rohith along with JV Narsaiah of SC, ST, BC Chinna Kulala Aikya Vedika and advocates Ch Ramakrishna and Harikrishna and villagers.
The two-day campaign covered Makulavaripalem, Nidumolu, Racharlapalem, Kaza, Palankipadu, Paddarayuduthota, Matlamalapalli, Avurupudi, Mantripalem and Reddy Naidu Agraharam in Movva mandal; Maddipatla, Kalapatam, Gurujepalli, Kankatava, Veerayalanka, Pinagudurulanka, Tarakaturu (where a public hearing is scheduled on December 17), Akumarru, Rayavaram, Guduru, Narikedalapalem, Chittiguduru, Parnasala, Kanchakoduru, Gulabpura and Kokanarayanapalem in Guduru mandal and Sultanagram and Gollapalem in Machilipatnam mandal.
The process of hydraulic fracturing to extract gas involves pumping huge amounts of water laced with chemicals and sand up to depths of 4,000 meters, under very high pressure. It is a highly intensive process that will further contaminate groundwater