Erode residents oppose Bharat Petroleum's pipeline project

ERODE: Residents of a Athikkadu near Chennimalai here on Tuesday erected tombstones and performed special puja to register their opposition to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Irugur-Devangonthi petroleum and petroleum product pipeline project. They said they would support only the political parties that oppose projects such as GAIL pipeline and high voltage transmission towers, which would destroy fertile lands.

BPCL is about to lay the pipeline through the fertile lands of seven districts of western Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode , Namakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. “The pipeline will be laid for 294km to carry 3.52 million tonne petrol every year from Irugur in Coimbatore to Devanakondhi near Bengaluru in Karnataka,” said a BPCL official, who didn’t want to be named.

With BPCL commencing the land measurement work to lay the pipeline across the seven districts, residents of Athikkadu on Tuesday erected tombstones in front of fertile lands and performed special pujas. “BPCL officials should not cross the tombstones and enter our fertile lands for any purpose,” said Dhanalakshmi Periyasamy, who headed the protest. She said they have vowed not to use BPCL products anymore.

They also raised slogans against the central government and BPCL for targeting the fertile lands in the western TN. Functionaries of various political parties also participated in the puja and protest.

It is to be noted that GAIL pipeline and high voltage transmission tower installation projects were suspended after continuous protests by farmers.