The Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam, a leading farmers’ organization, has voiced strong accusations that efforts are underway to reactivate ONGC’s oil wells within the delta region, a move they claim began in 2021.
Addressing the media in Tiruvarur on November 3, association general secretary P.R. Pandian highlighted that ONGC had previously been compelled to withdraw its equipment and machinery from the delta after the erstwhile AIADMK government officially designated the area as a protected agricultural zone. However, Pandian alleges that following the change in state leadership in 2021, ONGC has renewed its attempts to pursue hydrocarbon and other resource extraction projects from these wells.
Recently, ONGC is reportedly engaging with local communities, particularly in Periyakudi, Tiruvarur district, where significant hydrocarbon reserves have been identified. It is alleged that residents are being offered incentives, such as self-employment opportunities, to gain their cooperation.
The farmers’ association is now urgently calling upon the Tamil Nadu government to uphold the protected status of the delta region, safeguard vital agricultural operations, and definitively prohibit any such exploration activities.