The farmers in the seven Western districts in Tamil Nadu are standing firm in their opposition to GAIL’s plan to construct a pipeline through their farmlands. An amicable solution rests with the Government, according to Vazhukkuparai Balu alias V.D. Balasubramaniam, Coimbatore District President of Tamilaga Vivasiyagal Sangham.

The Sangam is an apolitical body that takes up farmers’ causes.

He said the impact of any decision without the consent of the farmers would be felt in the coming parliamentary polls in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts through which the proposed pipeline passes.

Public hearing

Speaking to Business Line here on Monday, after attending a three-day public hearing on the issue in Chennai, convened by the Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, he said the farmers were prepared to meet any crackdown, “in a Gandhian way”. He also said the farmers were ready to launch a ‘Nandigram-like’ stir on the issue.

He said Chief Secretary Sheela Balakrishnan conducted the hearing in a “simple and just manner” which was attended by about 5,000 farmers, of whom 95 per cent were small farmers, holding less than two acres.

The farmers had also explained how the project would hit their livelihood.

Balu said the Chief Secretary told the farmers that she would convey their views to the Chief Minister who, she said, would take a “just decision”.

If need be, the Chief Minister would personally hear the views of the farmers, the Chief Secretary told the gathering, he said.

Compensation decried

He said the compensation paid by GAIL ranged from a mere Rs 13 up to Rs 3 lakh. There appeared to be no criteria in fixing the amount. In Dharmapuri, for 47 mango trees, 27 coconut and 30 neem trees on a 3-acre land that was acquired, the compensation was fixed at Rs 3.30 lakh. In another area in the same district, for three palmyrah trees that were felled, a mere Rs 13 was given as compensation, he said.

Explaining the reasons for the farmers’ resistance to the pipeline project, Balu said Petronet LNG has laid a pipeline in the region close to which the new GAIL pipeline has been planned.

Farming hit

For the GAIL project, nearly 60 feet of land is to be levelled for laying the pipeline. After the pipeline is laid, farmers would be unable to grow fruit bearing trees and can only grow millets.

He said the Petroleum Mineral Pipeline Act had been made more stringent in 2012, holding the landowners responsible for any damage to the pipeline passing through their land holdings.

He clarified that the farmers were not opposed to the GAIL project, but they only wanted it to be laid along the roads. Petronet LNG had laid the pipeline for a distance of 35 km from Thirumalayampalayam to Arasur in the district along the road.

For building filling stations for every 30 km or so, the farmers were willing to come to a mutually agreeable decision in providing land at market rates to GAIL.

He said in both Kerala and Karnataka, the GAIL pipeline runs along highways – in Kerala for about 60 km and in Karnataka for about 30 km – and called for a similar arrangement in Tamil Nadu, sparing the farmers’ lands.

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