Udupi; Sept 25: It seems government is not allowing farmers of the district to sleep peacefully. Again the ghost of second phase of crude oil unit has surfaced in Padur. When the first phase of the crude oil storage unit is already in force in Udupi’s Padur, government is in the process of going ahead for the second phase of crude oil storage unit.
Neither central, nor state government is allowing the farmers in Udupi district to sleep peacefully. Works on I.S.P.R.L crude oil storage unit is already being carried out at Padur in Udupi district. In the interest of security of the nation, for the first phase of crude oil storage unit, hundreds of acres of lands have been acquired.
In Padur, main purpose of the project is to bore tunnels in giant sized boulders to store crude oil. But hundreds of families are on the street. Works on first phase of the crude oil storage unit is still not finished but preparations for the second phase is in progress. The capacity of the first phase of unit is 2.5 metric ton, where as for the second phase may be 5 metric ton. This project has disturbed the sleep of hundreds of families in Padur village’s jurisdiction.
Due to the works on first phase of crude oil storage unit, one can see the heaps of broken stones (Jelly) like a big mountain and if the works on second phase of crude oil storage unit starts, the whole of Kutyar, Kalathur and Padur villages are going to be converted into graves.
Already for the first phase of crude oil storage unit’s massive pipe-line works, lands have been acquired unscientifically. In the path, where pipeline is passing, there is no provision for land conversion from here and there admeasuring 60ft in length and 60ft in width area, cannot construct houses, temples and can’t plant a tree, which becomes a big tree in future according to the norms of the company. These rules have become biggest blow in the life of the small scale farmers of the region.
Already 10% of the government fixed price has been paid to the land owners from whom lands have been acquired for laying pipelines. If the second phase of storage is started, this will become something fatal to whole coastal region from security point of view.
3 Comments
I AM SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE GOVT.HAS FOUND REMOTE VILLAGES
LIKE PADUR, KALATHUR & KUTHYAR ETC.TO STORE CRUDE OIL. IS IT FAIR TO DRIVE PEOPLE FROM THEIR LANDS WHERE THEY LIVED FOR GENERATIONS IN THE NAME OF
PROGRESS ? WHATEVER IS DONE CANNOT BE UNDONE. BUT FOR THE 2ND PHASE AT LEAST THE GOVT. CAN RELOCATE SOME REMOTE BARREN LANDS ELSEWHERE AND SAVE THESE VILLAGES.
if we allow 2nd phase, entire padur, kalathoor and nearby villages will go. Let us protest to the core.
WE HAVE TO PROTEST THE MOVEMENT