CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Farmers Association on Monday hailed Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for stopping the extraction of methane and shale gas in the Cauvery basin.
Association general secretary V Duraimanickam said the Great Eastern Energy Corporation did not care about the dangers posed by pumping out a large amount of ground water for the extraction of gas. It did not get permission from the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.
TN government formed a committee to look into the environmental impact, seepage of sea water and threat to food security after protests mounted against the project. The committee in its report said the borewells that would be sunk to extract methane gas would be dangerous and the cultivable lands would be polluted. It also detailed on the impact of pumping out of ground water. Based on the report, the State had stopped the project and asked the Centre to obtain the permission of the State for such projects in future.
TVK leader T Velmurugan lauded the CM for bringing relief to the farmers by stopping the project. The Centre had allowed methane extraction which would turn Cauvery delta into a desert. The TN government had protected the livelihood of farmers by stopping the project, he said.