Irate crowd set fire to garbage dangerously close to an oil well as other protesters pelted police personnel with stones resulting in the forces resorting to a cane charge in Kadiramangalam in Thanjavur district on Friday.
For well over two months, the villagers have been up in arms against the exploration activities of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), which has been producing oil and natural gas in the village since 2002 after sinking 11 wells.
On Friday, tension escalated when a pipeline burst leading to oil spill affecting a farm field.
Seizing the opportunity, villagers intensified their protests even as Anti- Methane Project Federation leaders and Tiruvidaimarudur MLA Kovi Chezhian (DMK) arrived at the site to argue on behalf of the villagers.
To defuse the situation and heeding the demand of the protesting villagers, Thanjavur Collector A. Annadurai visited the oil spill-affected field and assured them that all steps would be taken to protect their livelihood, farm fields and groundwater resources.
In the melee, miscreants pelted the police personnel with stones in which three men, including an Inspector of Police, were injured.
The ONGC officials reached the site to put out the fire and set right the pipeline.
Its activities have resulted in a huge drop in groundwater table and oil spills have denuded the green fields over the years.
So, we want the ONGC to go away from our village.
But the police and the administration are harassing us,”’ alleged the villagers.