India’s biggest west coast oil refinery faces its first hurdle

The Hindu
November 24, 2017

 To be located next to the Jaitapur nuclear project, the west coast refinery worries villagers

 Thousands of farmers from Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra have been on the roads for the last five days opposing joint land measurement exercise by government officials marking the beginning of yet another long-drawn protest in Konkan, this time against India’s biggest oil refinery proposed on the western coastline.

 Over 15,000 acres in and around Nanar in Rajapur tehsil of the district has been notified as an industrial area under Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Act, instead of Land Acquisition Act, 2013. After going through the process of seeking objections from the villagers, the government has now begun the next step of joint measurement of land.

 People ignored
“The Act under which land is to be acquired is draconian and gives no voice to the people, who were not consulted on the project,” said Satyajit Chavan, convener, Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti (KVPVS), which is spearheading the protests.

 The villagers are concerned at the pollution caused by the refinery once it is operational. The government, while announcing the project, had said this is green project.

 “Green word is being used to fool the people. Which refinery in the world is green? ” said Mr. Chavan.

 Concern over location
The refinery’s location is another cause for concern among locals. It will stand next to world’s biggest nuclear power project, the proposed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP). A desiltation project and a 1,500 MW thermal power project are also proposed in the vicinity. “This is disastrous and will completely kill the natural habitat of the region. Why should we even support it?” asked Sachin Chavan, another activist.

 Ratnagiri’s guardian minister Ravindra Waikar told The Hindu that he has directed the district administration to not force the project on people.

 “I have specifically asked them to first make people aware about the project. Force cannot be used always,” he said.

 Reference:-http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indias-biggest-west-coast-oil-refinery-faces-its-first-hurdle/article20793863.ece

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