(TNIE)
Stung by the unprecedented protests across Tamil Nadu over the hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal, oil major ONGC has sought to do away with conducting public hearing meetings for its next project of drilling 21 exploratory wells in Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts.
According to documents accessed by Express, the oil major sought exemption with the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in New Delhi on April 17 this year which in turn recommended that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) grant environmental clearance and exemption from conducting public hearing meetings for drilling 21 exploratory wells.Prior to making this recommendation, the Ministry asked ONGC to furnish details of the project. In reply, ONGC informed the committee that new wells would be drilled in Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam.
