The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday adopted a bill prohibiting projects involving exploration, drilling and extraction of oil and natural gas, including coal-bed methane, and other similar hydrocarbons in the Cauvery delta region of the state.
Recently, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had declared the Cauvery delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ). He called the bill ‘historic.’
The bill excludes Tiruchi, Ariyalur and Karur districts, so any ongoing projects in the area will not be disrupted. Only Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and parts of Cuddalore and Pudukkottai in the Cauvery basin are covered in the bill.
However, none of the projects, which were in operation in the Protected Special Agriculture Zone, before the Act came into being, will be affected.
The bill also doesn't declare the existing oil wells, and projects already under progress in the zone, as null and void.
The chief minister announced that the state will form a special high level committee with 30 members, which will be led by him. Other key members include one MP, two MLAs, three farmers’ representatives and one expert each from the fields of agriculture, horticulture and veterinary sciences.
The bill was introduced to protect agriculture in the region which was being adversely affected by non-farming activities. The government has already identified zinc smelter, iron ore process plants, copper smelter, aluminium smelter, tannery, and ship breaking industries in the area.
The main opposition, DMK and its allies welcomed the bill.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)