Hydrocarbon exploration survey won’t harm agri land, says firm

A senior official of the Haryana-based company executing a hydrocarbon exploration survey for energy behemoth Oil India Limited at 10 villages of Muktsar’s Lambi block has said that the exercise won’t cause any harm to agriculture land as feared by farmers.

Chhail Singh, project manager at DS Geo Services Private Limited, also said that they would proceed with the exercise only after “clearing doubts of farmers”.

The statement came days after sarpanches of the villages approached the Punjab Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, requesting that the survey be stopped as it might cause irreparable damage to their fertile land.

They also feared that in case hydrocarbon deposits are found there, the government might acquire their land for mining activities, leading to their displacement.

However, the official asked the villagers not to panic, saying they have already submitted a detailed survey plan to the civil administration.

“We are conducting a seismic survey for the exploration of hydrocarbons in six districts of Punjab — Muktsar, Moga, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Faridkot and Bathinda. In addition, a similar survey is being undertaken in 11 districts of Rajasthan,” he said.

He said some four-inch-wide shotholes will be drilled to a depth of just 20 meters to conduct the seismic survey, a method of imaging the earth’s subsurface by recording and measuring artificially generated ground vibrations.

The technique is used to explore petroleum, natural gas and mineral deposits.

“The entire survey in Muktsar district will take almost a month. On an average, we cover six to seven kilometre of area daily. Our team will meet every farmer on whose land a borewell is to be drilled, and only then we will proceed with the survey,” the project manager said.

“However, it may take some time to clear doubts of farmers, and completing the survey may take longer,” he added.

The 10 villages where this survey is to be conducted are Mahuana, Aadhnian, Sehna Khera, Tappa Khera, Fatehpur Manianwala, Fatuhi Khera, Roranwali, Tarmala, Kandu Khera and Abul Khurana.

Khushveer Maan, sarpanch of Sehna Khera village, said, “We are opposing this survey because we don’t want to be displaced. If something is found beneath the soil, the government will definitely try to acquire our land. We have decided to oppose this survey tooth and nail. If the district administration doesn’t support us, we will plan future course of action accordingly.”