Hubballi: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)'s survey for assessing petroleum and natural gas reserves in Gadag district has left farmers here both worried and angry.
Many are upset that it began its survey by sinking borewells on farmlands without bothering to seek their permission before doing so and damaging their crops in the process.
Also, the agency from Andhra Pradesh hired by ONGC to explore and assess the potential oil deposit in the area has reportedly been digging at several places over the last week without informing the farmers, who claim they have suffered huge crop loss as a result.
“We have suffered a loss due to drought last year and the scanty rainfall during the kharif season this year. And now my onion, cotton and other crops have been damaged by the movement of drilling vehicles belonging to the agency on my two acre farmland. The gram panchayat has issued it a no objection certificate without our consent. The company should undertake the survey only after paying us adequate compensation for the crop loss," said farmer Rudrappa Ainapur of Bhiranahatti village.
But Nargund tahasildar, Prakash Holiyappanavar, when contacted, claimed the district administration had permitted the agency to carry out drilling work after taking the local farmers into confidence.
“We cannot give them any compensation for their crop loss. That is left to the concerned agency or ONGC,” he added.
With the administration turning its back on them, the farmers have decided to stage a protest against the permission given to the agency to dig on their land with no concern for their crops.
