Tamil Nadu government says no to methane project

THANJAVUR: The Tamil Nadu Government has rejected permission for extraction of coal bed methane in the Cauvery delta districts as per an official order. 

 

The order G.O. (D) No. 186 dated 08.10.2015 was issued after government considered the recommendations of the expert technical committee appointed by it to study the pros and cons of the proposed coal bed methane extraction project of the Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd. (GEECL).

 

The Tamil Nadu Government has also written to the Central Government not to give permission to such projects and consult state government on such issues in the future, said the order. The GEECL proposes to extract coal bed methane over 691 sq km in the Mannargudi area in Tiruvarur district and some parts of Thanjavur district. 

 

The Central Government, through auction, allotted to the GEECL, assessment of availability of coal bed methane in some areas of the Cauvery delta districts and extraction of the same in 2010. On July 29, 2010, the Centre had entered into a production sharing agreement with GEECL.

 

Following this, the GEECL approached the Tamil Nadu Government for getting a petroleum exploration license.  The previous DMK government gave a licence to the company for four years on January 1, 2011. It also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with GEECL on January 4, 2011, in which it assured all help to the company for extracting coal bed methane. 

 

Public hearings were conducted later at the Thanjavur collectorate on December 29, 2011 and at the Tiruvarur collectorate on January 23, 2012, at which people and farmers objected to the project, as it would lead to sea intrusion, pollute the environment and affect underground water they said.

 

Though the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board conveyed the objection of farmers and people to the Central Government, the Environment Ministry in Delhi gave environment clearance with certain conditions to GEECL.

 

Permission for drilling to assess the availability of methane is to be given by the State Pollution Control Board. Taking into consideration the objection raised by farmers and people and also environment damage in the powder river basin of Wyoming and Montana states in United States where coal bed methane was extracted, and also taking into consideration, the livelihood and food security aspects of the delta, the present AIADAMK Government in Tamil Nadu appointed an expert technical committee and asked it to make its recommendations. 

 

But considering the grave environmental dangers, the committee said the project “may be either rejected or reviewed”. The State government accepted its recommendations and said it will not give any clearance for the project.