ONGC seeks consent from TTAADC for seismic survey

For the first time, state-owned ONGC has sought consent from Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) for carrying out seismic survey in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the tribal body.

At present, the seismic survey operations remain suspended due to objections from local people, causing huge losses to the public sector behemoth.

Seismic survey is the most crucial tool for identification of oil and gas-bearing zones in the sub-subsurface.

ONGC's Chief General Manager, ONGC Assam and Assam Arakan Basin, Deepak Sareen, in a letter addressed to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), TTAADC, C K Jamatia on March 4 said Five private players were awarded the work of conducting a seismic survey in five locations of the state. During the acquisition of 2d/3D seismic data, temporary cables will be laid on the ground passing through the TTAADC area which is your jurisdiction .

The exercise will continue till May this year and re-commence from November.

Permission has already been obtained from the Central and the state governments. We solicit your cooperation for successful completion of the survey which is of utmost national importance," the letter read.

Chairman of the ruling Tipra Motha of TTAADC, Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, on Thursday said, Before the Tipraha Indigenous People's Regional Alliance (TIPRA) came to power in the tribal council, TTAADC was never acknowledged by anyone.

The ONGC has finally acknowledged that we cannot be bypassed. They have written to us for consent as per the law of the land. They can resume the operation only after getting consent from our administration.

The TTAADC covers 70 per cent of the state's territory and is home to over 30 per cent of the tribal population in the north-eastern state.