Horata samithi expresses ire over gas pipeline issues

Horata samithi expresses ire over gas pipeline issues

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 9, 2014:  Addressing a press conference here, on July 8, ’Gas Pipeline Virodhi Horata Samithi’  Convenor Krishnaprasad Rai said that the recent Andhra GAIL pipeline blast incident is an eye opener for the whole country and the administration should rethink about gas pipelines which are being laid through 32 villages of Mangalore, Bantwal and Belthangady taluks of Dakshina Kannada.

He went to add that according to the regulations, one gas pipeline may be laid in one kilo metre area, but here five pipelines are being laid within one kilo metre area. There is HPCL pipeline at Mangalore and Bantwal taluks, pipeline of GAIL at Mangalore, Bantwal and Belthangady, proposed line by Relogistics Infrastructure Limited,  Petronet Company already has completed its pipeline. According to sources, survey is going on for another pipeline from Mangalore to Chithradurga too.

The pipelines laid are just 1.2 metres below the ground-level, and the area is thickly populated. The area is very near the sea and saline activity rapidly rusts/corrodes  metal making the chances of gas leakage very high. Yet  the officials cite foreign countries where this type of projects have been implemented successfully. “I have documents to prove that in Canada and USA also, gas pipeline tragedies have occurred, but casualty was less as they follow security measures very strictly,” he said. The district mainly depends on arecanut, coconut, banana and rubber plantations and  farmers had to lose wide areas of land for Petronet pipeline with poor compensation. Now, more farmers are compelled to sacrifice for these pipelines, this makes construction work impossible in the lands. Though the officials  say that there is no problem for farming, practically, agriculture is impossible.

Amendment to Act  :  As per the Land Acquisition Act, the company gives only 10 per cent of the actual value of the land as compensation to the land owner. If they take land into their possession, 10 per cent compensation is an injustice. Companies give compensation just for the pipeline area and not for total affected area. “We will convene a meeting of MLAs and MPs to convince them about the need for amendment of the Act. The people are not against the projects, but they should be compensated or benefited by them.

Farmers an easy prey  : Petroleum companies could have laid pipelines in the sea or beside highways, railway tracks; still they choose productive land why? In Tamil Nadu, a case on farmers’ land acquisition to gas pipe line by GAIL has reached the Supreme Court only because the State Government stood firmly behind the farmers. We are also waiting for the judgement of the Apex Court on the case, as we can take our next step based on that stated the activist.

 Oil firms lack social responsibility  : The participants came down heavily on the irresponsibility of oil company officials. They don’t even inform the Deputy Commissioner on consequences of pipelines. The DC has no idea about the doings of the companies. Gazette notifications are simply misused. These are also a part of Petroleum Chemicals, and Petro Chemicals Investment (PCPIR) Region projects, which are being implemented in 74,000 acre land. There should be a scientific implementation they demanded.

“In Kavalakatte, the pipeline passes beside school, temple, anganwadi and through a village where more 150 families live.  I have four pipelines in my land at Adyeppadi and if anything happens, no-one would survive to get compensation,” a farmer said. He showed the letter given by the HPCL officials which did not have even a signature.  Samiti Members Beby Shetty Padoor, Ibrahim Malali, Sampath Kumar Shetty Ammunje and Sujeer Kumar Shetty Kandavara too were present and the residents expressed ire over the whole issue.