Amravati: Vedanta Ltd has received a conditional No Objection Certificate (NOC) to drill 20 onshore oil and gas wells in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, according to reports. The Andhra Pradesh government has approved Vedanta’s request under the Discovered Small Fields Policy, 2018, with conditions that include the prohibition of water supplied from surface water bodies linked to the irrigation system.
Vedanta Limited’s Cairn Oil and Gas division had applied for 35 oil wells but the Andhra Pradesh government has approved only 20, after detailed analysis of the requirements. Vedanta has been looking to ramp up its domestic oil production and these NOCs are a step ahead in fulfilling its goals.
For the Andhra Pradesh government, this is a balancing act that it has taken. On one side, it needs the revenue generated from Vedanta’s operations, while on the other, it has to ensure that the agriculture and allied activities are not harmed by pollution or inadequate resource grab.
Vedanta still has to apply for various other approvals before it starts its operations, including environment, pollution contorl and land use, with the compliance requirements being closely monitored.
Though this is the first step in this direction, there are chances of protests and opposition from locals, who depend on the fertile soils and rich biodiversity for their livelihoods. The company will have to allay fears of resource grab, with assurances that their livelihoods will not be affected in any way.
