MAYILADUTHURAI: Tension prevailed in Mayiladuthurai on Tuesday after trucks that were ferrying pipes and other equipment, reportedly belonging to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), to Malliam in Mayiladuthurai block were stopped and sent back by a mob alleging that the firm was trying to use the equipment for extraction activity in the area.
On Tuesday morning the trucks from Anjaruvarthalai in Kuthalam block were heading towards Malliam when activists, political party functionaries, and the locals stopped them. The gathering also confined a truck and protested, alleging that the ONGC was trying to install the pipes and extract oil, natural gas and other elements in Malliam and neighbouring villages. Their opposition led to a serpentine queue of trucks.
Anti-Methane Project Movement coordinator Professor T Jayaraman, who led the demonstration, said, “What is the need to transport such equipment? We suspect ONGC is trying to install and extract more elements. The delta region has been declared a Protected Special Agricultural Zone.
The existing wells should be closed rather than opening more wells.” As the trucks could not proceed, officials from the Revenue and Police departments tried to hold talks with the protesters. Some officials from the ONGC also intervened in a bid to pacify the crowd. Following talks, the trucks were sent back to Anjaruvarthalai and the protesters dispersed.
A revenue official told TNIE, “The pipes and other equipment were being transferred only for storage and not for any installation. It was done so to combine storage rather than keeping them at more places and making it difficult to safeguard them. We had to send the trucks back to Anjaruvarthalai as people were growing increasingly apprehensive.”