Thanjavur: Members of Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu protested against the proposed hydrocarbon projects by organising sit-in agitations in ten villages in Thanjavur district on Tuesday.
Agitations were held at Budalur, Kallaperambur, Cholapuram, Sengipatti, Naducauvery, Thirupanandal, Ammapettai and other places in the district. At Naducauvery P.Maniarasan, Co-ordinator of the Kuzhu led the agitation. The members sat in the agitation pandal from 8 am to 5 pm. They shouted slogans like "Don't bring hydrocarbon and don't stop Cauvery water".
Maniarasan told presspersons that proposed hydrocarbon projects and Cauvery water are twin major issues faced by Cauvery delta farmers now. "Central government has given permission to Vedanta group and ONGC for exploring hydrocarbons from Marakanam to Rameswaram coast. Centre should conduct public hearing in all the places and know the opinion of people on the issue. Without doing that the projects should not be forced on people," he said.
The projects when implemented will convert Cauvery delta into a desert, he said. With respect to the river water issue, he said the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has no powers to implement its own order. Karnataka had not implemented the order of the CWMA for releasing 9.19 tmcft of water for June. Now the CWMA has ordered Karnataka to release the share of water for Tamil Nadu for July, he pointed out.
"It is not known whether Karnataka will implement this order also or not. This powerless authority should be dissolved and new authority should be formed. It should have powers of lifting shutters of reservoirs and release water. If central government does not withdraw the proposal to implement hydrocarbon projects, agitation will be intensified," he added.
Mr. Maniarasan further said that agitations were held in Tiruchy and Tiruvarur districts also.
