Residents of 40 Tiruvarur villages protest against ONGC project

Due to the protest, shops in the regions downed their shutters. Residents claimed that the then district Collector Mathivanan had promised them, in 2014, that there would never be any exploration plan by the ONGC. However, the ONGC had commenced the exploration works that would lead to destroy the fertility of the land. Meanwhile, the ground water level had also gone down badly and people have begun to contract serious health problems.

The residents who gathered to stage a demonstration were prevented by the police. Later, DSP Arun deployed heavy police protection in the areas.

However, the public still continued to come out in large numbers despite the presence of police personnel. Still, a few residents, who failed to listen to the orders of the police, were arrested.

The residents demanded that the exploration plan was anti-people and therefore wanted the project to be rescinded.