An area of 9,990.96 sq km in southern Tamil Nadu’s deep sea region of the Gulf of Mannar has been included in a recent tender for hydrocarbon exploration issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
This is a part of the Ministry’s 10th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy, which invites companies to submit bids for its exploration rights. The tender covers 25 offshore areas across the country, totalling 1,91,986 sq km of marine space. This marks the largest acreage offered in a single bid round under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy regime. Companies can submit applications for their preferred sites until July 31, 2025. The Ministry has identified potential hydrocarbon reserves in deep sea areas off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the Gulf of Mannar, covering Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts. However, environmentalists have raised concerns over the impact of oil and gas exploration on marine life and local fishing activities.
The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve is home to rare and endangered species such as dugongs, turtles, and marine mammals.
The ecosystem is rich in coral reefs and seagrass, which support a variety of marine organisms. Environmentalists and fishermen have pointed out that the Union government’s push for hydrocarbon exploration could result in an irreversible damage to environment and threaten the livelihoods of local communities.
Satheesh Lakshmanan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, a non-governmental organisation dealing with environmental issues, fears that the blast sounds from these surveys, essential for mapping oil and gas reserves, could disturb marine species. Moreover, chemical waste released during oil and gas extraction could severely reduce the fish population, with marine life either migrating or dying off, according to marine experts.
An official from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department said that the impact of exploration depended on the distance from the Biosphere Reserve.
Additionally, the government has included four deep-sea blocks near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the tender. These areas, covering 47,057.73 square kilometres, were previously protected as ‘no-go zones’ for oil and gas exploration, Mr. Lakshmanan said.
With the region being home to fragile ecosystems and indigenous communities, there are concerns about the potential ecological damage if opened up for exploration.
