The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has decided to release ₹161 crore by the next week towards compensation to 23,458 people who will be affected from the pipeline being laid from its offshore platform to the onshore plant at Mallavaram village through the mouth of the Gowthami river.
The ONGC began the pipeline project on January 28 to develop the block— KG-DWN-98/2 in the Krishna-Godavari basin. A 22-km pipeline will be laid along the Gowthami river, a branch of the Godavari. The pipeline will include 9 km in the offshore area.
“We have sanctioned ₹161 crore towards compensation to the affected fishermen living along the Gowthami river. However, the transfer of amount to the District Collector was postponed in the wake of creation of new districts. The compensation amount will be transferred to the Collectors of Kakinada and Konaseema districts by next week,” ONGC General Manager (Human Resources) D. Mallik told The Hindu.
The ONGC authorities led by Mr. Mallik and Fisheries Department authorities explained the project details and compensation package to Kakinada Collector Krithika Shukla on Thursday.
Mr. Mallik said that 23,458 people were likely to lose their livelihood due to the pipeline project. “Every individual is entitled to a monthly compensation of ₹11,500 till the work continues. The amount of ₹161 crore is the compensation for six months. The District Collector will release the amount to the affected people on a monthly basis,” he said.
The project work is likely to be completed in eight months and the compensation for the remaining period will be released after six months. In Kakinada district alone, more than 7,000 fishermen are likely to be affected by the project.
The people affected by the project, a majority of them fishermen, are from 69 villages in the eight mandals— seven in Konaseema district and Thallarevu in Kakinada district. The seven affected mandals in Konassema district are Katrenikona, Mummidivaram, I.Polavaram, Kapileswarapuram, Ainavalli, Kothapeta and K. Gangavaram.
