Save Konaseema from oil companies: BKS

Amalapuram: Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) led by Thikkireddy Gopala Krishna, Mutyala Jameel, Yalla Venkatanandam, Guttula Sri Ramamurhty, and Yalla Babi submitted a memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee that visited Konaseema on Tuesday.

In the submitted memorandum, the BKS leaders detailed the extensive damage occurred to the fertile agricultural lands of the Konaseema region due to drilling and pipeline activities taken up by the oil companies and requested the committee to save the farming community of Konaseema from pollution.

The irrigation system in the Konaseema region needs to be revamped by way of building CC walls on the canal bunds and culverts should be rebuilt as per the modern standards, demanded the BKS.

Further, the farmers suggested the oil companies to create “Konaseema Agricultural Development Fund” with 100 crore allocation for the modernisation of Konaseema region.

They also demanded the linking of roads with the agricultural fields be taken up in a time-bound period. The memorandum asked the oil companies to pay compensation to the farmers as and when they lose their crops due to change in climatic conditions.

The BKS, in its memorandum, impressed on the need to treat coconut and paddy fields with utmost care, as the Konaseema region forms a crucial link between two tributaries of Godavari and the Bay of Bengal.

Pipeline leakage and blast that occurred recently have already endangered the greenery of the fertile lands.

In the last 15 years, the oil and gas fields in the Konaseema region have emitted 30 lakh cubic meter of gas every day and releasing it through pipelines with 40 kg pressure per inch to the gas collection centers thereby causing extensive damage to the Konaseema region.

The gas collection and distribution activity is so thick that the Konaseema region that have underground gas pipeline ticking like time bombs. Recollecting that the ONGC, Cairn Energy and Gail began exploration activity began in 2001 itself covering 21,000 sq km offshore and 20,000sq km onshore in the delta region.

Ever since the oil companies’ operations began in 2001, it resulted in degradation of fertile soil, irrigation canals, and bridges. The incessant movement of heavy vehicles carrying drilling machines, raw oil equally contributed to the damage of roads in rural areas, the memorandum highlighted.

“To add woes, a seismic survey is underway in nearly 300 villages for unearthing the gas and oil reserves. As a result of drilling activities engaged by the oil companies, the land and the most precious water bodies are getting contaminated”, the BKS leaders lamented.

Whilst gas enters the collection centers through pipelines, pipelines tend to develop leakages adding to the pollution of water bodies and the soil.

The extent of damage caused to the agriculture field is nearly 100 crore. Making the matters worse, the drinking water in 200 villages around Amalapuram town turned into saline, the petition added.

They requested the Parliamentary Committee to save the fertile Konaseema and its traditional agriculture by fulfilling their demands.