GEECL Says CBM Operations, Agriculture Can Coexist

Reacting to the stoppage of work at its Tamil Nadu coal bed methane project, Great Eastern Energy Corp (GEECL) today said agriculture farming and gas extraction can co-exist safely as has been happening for years in the US.

Earlier this week, Indian state of Tamil Nadu called for suspension of the GEECL’s proposed coal bed methane (CBM) exploration and production project in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts. Farmer groups have registered protest at various places against the project.

The company said that methane extraction at its Raniganj project in West Bengal have co-existed and 150 wells have so far been drilled, Economic Times reported. 

"We do not require large tract of land. We need just 2 acres of land for each well and there is no large scale displacement," GEECL President and Chief Operating Officer Prashant Modi said, Economic Times reported.

CBM extraction is done in most environment friendly manner and water that comes out is used by farmers in Raniganj for irrigation purpose, he said. 

The state has constituted an expert committee comprising academics and government officials to file a report on the project in three months.