Expert panel to sort out ONGC-fishermen issue

Kakinada: An expert committee has been constituted to assess the impact of the 3D-4C Ocean Bed Node (3D-4C OBN) survey being carried out by ONGC on fishing activities in the KG-DWN-98/2 block area.

ONGC proposed to conduct a seismic survey to find oil and gas off the coast of Kakinada. But, fishermen objected to this and started protest movement led by Kakinada Urban MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy, MLC Karri Padma Sree, Kakinada Lok Sabha member Vanga Geetha and Kakinada Rural MLA Kurasala Kannababu.

The political parties came under one umbrella to fight for the cause of fishermen. Chandrasekhara Reddy has brought the issue to the notice of chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Following a round of discussions with the district administration and ONGC officials, a meeting was convened at the district collector’s office here on Monday with the ONGC, people’s representatives and fishermen unions.

As advised by the district administration, an expert committee has been constituted. It would be headed by the fisheries commissioner as its chairman. Fisheries institute principal, deputy director of fisheries, port officer, a marine biologist from Andhra University Visakhapatnam, head of Visakhapatnam regional centre of CMFRI, executive director of geophysical services of ONGC and project manager of KG-DWN-98/2, ONGC, are members of the committee.

The eastern offshore and HPHT asset executive director Suresh Babu said in a letter on Monday that various meetings were held on the ongoing blockade of KSPL Port and Anchorage Port by fishermen on the issue of the OBN survey. The ongoing survey work is expected to be completed by the end of July.

The expert committee, he said, would assess the impact of OBN survey operations on fishing activity. As requested by the people’s representatives at the meeting, the ONGC Kakinada Offshore shall continue implementing the CSR and skill development projects in Kakinada and nearby villages upon receipt of proposals from the district administration, he said.