Residents Live in Fear After ONGC Blowout
The people of Irusumanda alleged that the officials told them to evacuate the villages due to the blowout. Many people came out of their houses without having lunch, and they are suffering due to lack of food.
Kakinada: The people of Konaseema district are living in fear of the disasters they will face due to oil exploration operations by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipelines. They are in the grip of anxiety in the wake of the blowout on Monday.
Some people from the Irusumanda and Lakkavaram villages of Malkipuram mandal in Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district said they heard unusual loud sounds early in the morning. They expressed their fear and informed the authorities, but the officials did not address their grievance, said B. Raju, a villager from Lakkavaram.
He said the ONGC or private firms undertaking gas and oil exploration have not taken safety measures. Raju said the people of Irusumanda, Gudavalli and Lakkavaram villages panicked when they heard the sounds, and came out of their houses with hue and cry. Later, the officials arrived and suggested evacuating the villages.
Another villager, Kondavati Dorababu, said the ONGC and GAIL officials are not maintaining the wells and pipelines. According to his information, the closed wells should be inspected once every five years, and the present blowout Mori-5 well was closed 30 years ago. But now, they have opened the well. It is witnessed by the negligence of the oil and gas exploration companies.
Another person, G. Joshua, said they were unable to bear the smell from the flames and that everyone is wearing a mask. He said oil and gas exploration activities have damaged their livelihoods, coconut gardens and their rich paddy fields. However, the governments have not responded. He said that aqua, oil and gas exploration has badly spoiled the atmosphere and crops in Konaseema.
A resident of Irusumanda village said he noticed smoke rising from the well that when he was cycling along the route and later flames erupted from it. The personnel working in the well ran away from the spot.
The people of Irusumanda alleged that the officials told them to evacuate the villages due to the blowout. Many people came out of their houses without having lunch, and they are suffering due to a lack of food. The officials are not taking care of them.
