Jayalalithaa seeks PM's intervention in Gail issue

Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the Gail pipeline issue and said the issue can be resolved through a joint constructive and accommodating approach.

She also urged Gail to follow the Kerala model where pipelines were laid along national highways minimizing the damage to environment and farmers.

In her letter, Ms Jayalalithaa pointed out that the issue is a matter of grave importance and great urgency to people of Tamil Nadu and its farmers as the pipelines will pass through the farm and horticulture lands of seven districts of Tamil Nadu including Tirupur, Erode, Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri.

The proposed alignment of Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru-Bengaluru Gail gas pipeline project is expected to traverse causing irreparable damage to agricultural property of thousands of farmers in these seven districts.

The pipeline would cover 310 km with an affected area of 20 metres width. The project would adversely affect lakhs of mango, jackfruit and coconut trees which are extensively grown in the project affected areas. As per estimate, over 120,000 such fruit bearing trees would have to be uprooted for laying the pipes.

There are binding high court directions based on which the Government of Tamil Nadu has issued orders for planting at least 10 trees in the place of each tree cut to protect the environment. It would be impossible for Gail to plant 12 lakh trees in the area. Further, the restrictions on excavating any tank and well in the area, would adversely affect agriculture and horticulture, the letter explained.

The state duly considered the extensive adverse impact on agriculture and horticulture and advised Gail to stop the work of laying the pipeline in 2013. In this situation, the Supreme Court has held that once the right of use of land is notified, there is no power with the state government to direct as to how the pipeline is to be aligned and that the appropriate government under this Act is the Central Government. While the Government of Tamil Nadu respects the verdict of the apex court and it has made preparations to file a review petition in the SC.

The Tamil Nadu government has already constituted an expert committee to examine the possibilities of re-aligning the pipeline along highways.

Officials of Gail can be asked to be part of this committee so that a mutually acceptable solution can be found in the interest of the poor agriculturists as also the implementation of the project.

"The best way forward to speedily implement the project is to make the pipelines pass through highways and I am confident that this sensitive issue, which has huge implications for the farmers' can be addressed through your immediate intervention in the matter," the letter said.