KalingaTV News Network
Pipili: Demanding compensation for the damages caused during company’ s exploration work, villagers in Batola area under Delang block of the district have detained 30 staff of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for past three days.
According to reports, as many as 60 ONGC employees had gone to the area three days ago and undertook seismic survey. They carried out underground blasting to ascertain the exact quantity of oil and gas stored underground. However, the locals alleged that their houses and village temple have been damaged with cracks in walls and roofs following the underground blasting.
“Most of the houses in our village developed cracks after the ONGC staff carried out underground blasting in this area,” alleged Kalilash Chandra Jena, a resident of the village.
“We had detained 60 of them, but left 30 and now have detained the other 30 employees. We will let them go only after getting compensation from the company for the damages done to our houses,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ONGC officials said the villagers will be given compensation after an inspection. “The ONGC inspection team will assess the losses and compensate the villagers accordingly,” informed Kailash Chandra Biswal, public relations officer of ONGC.
Notably, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) are carrying out the seismic survey jointly since October 2016, to ascertain sediments of hydrocarbons in the state. They have decided to conduct similar seismic survey programmes in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Puri and Chilika.
On October 12, 2016, the first seismic survey to ascertain sediments of hydrocarbons in the subsurface of Mahanadi basin was started in Khaira block of Balasore district.
Ms Kalinga