In 2015, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) announced that it would take up shale gas exploration in the Krishna- Godavari Basin.
ONGC started acquisition for each well on lease from farmers in the East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna Districts. ONGC proposed to undertake exploratory drilling in five wells in the three districts for a cost of Rs 217 crore. In 2017, the proposal was approved. However, the plan triggered fears that the project would pose a threat to the natural resources and the farmers in the region who depend on these.
Several activists and environmentalists argue that the drilling process would involve large amount of water, leaving little for farming and household consumption in the area. They also added that the drilling could cause mild tremors in the area. The process of fracking or drilling oil, many argue, may lead to contamination of drinking water and soil with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. Fracking has been banned in several countries like France, Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland and some parts of the US.
In [2017](http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/Public Hearing/010820161WDTGZ9SPublichearing.pdf), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted Environmental clearance to ONGC to go ahead with the project. However, locals protested against the commencement of the project and pointed out several environmental risks they would be exposed to, like the release of harmful gases like methane and radon. A public meeting was held with the local residents from the villages of Kommalapudi and Modumudi in Krishna District, and Kalavacherla of East Godavari district. A human rights activist from Amalapuram, Y. Rajesh, , said that the local Mandal revenue Officer had conducted a public hearing at Kalava-cheruvu village without identifying the project site. As part of public consultation for environment clearance, the relevant authorities need to identify the project site. If the villagers disagree to give the identified site, the relevant authority has to look for alternate land. This process was not followed.
On 26 November, 2019, the ONGC wound up its shale exploration programme, including the one in Krishna, mid-way after spending five years and hundreds of crores of rupees, concluding that India may not have enough commercially-extractable shale reserve.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project scrapped
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Water bodies, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
217
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2015
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Project/scheme was cancelled or modified
In 2019, ONGC wound up its shale exploration programme. The wells dug up for exploration overlapped with conventional wells so no land was affected.
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of free prior informed consent
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Government of Andhra Pradesh, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Farmers
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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