The issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NoC) by the Water Resources Department to Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil and Gas Division) for drilling wells for the production of onshore oil and gas through hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process in Krishna district has raised concern among the villagers and environmental activists.
The department issued a G.O. on December 22, 2025, permitting the company to drill wells at 20 locations of Kaza Block in Movva and Guduru mandals of the district.
As per the G.O., while the company had sought permission for drilling wells in 35 locations, the Chief Engineer, Krishna Delta System, found that 15 of them were in close proximity to the irrigation canal and drainage network, and therefore, declined the request.
The locations approved for drilling wells were Nidumolu, Tarakathuru, Maddipatla, Kanchakoduru, Kaza, Avurupudi, Kalapatnam, Mukkollu, Pinagudurulanka, Guduru, Narikedalapalem, Rayavaram and Mallavolu.
As per the G.O., the company was not permitted to withdraw water from the Bandar Canal, reservoirs, KDS Canal, and it should also ensure that effluents did not enter the canal network.
However, the Human Rights Forum (HRF), which worked on the issue since 2021, questioned if the Water Resources Department had carried out a study, or engaged a third-party to study the impact of the fracking on the Bandar Irrigation Canal.
In a press note on December 24, activists from the HRF Y. Rajesh and G. Rohith explained that the hydraulic fracturing or fracking process involved injection of hundreds of toxic chemicals, along with water at high pressure, to extract shale gas. “There is no information about the impact of chemicals on the irrigation canals and groundwater in the NoC,” they said.
In the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment of the project, the company stated that it would need around 1,200 cubic metre of groundwater per day for its operations.
The activists, however, said the actual requirement would be much more, and cited studies conducted by the Duke University on the amount of water required for fracking.
One of the proposed wells for drilling was coming up at Kaza, where C. Ramakrishna, a farmer and a lawyer, lives. “Ours is a tail-end village of the Bandar Canal. As it is, we do not get enough water for irrigation. The groundwater, too, has become saline. How can the Water Resources Department give the nod without considering the impact on our lives?” he asked, and recalled that the public hearing for the project had been held in a hurried manner on April 12, 2021, with thin attendance.
When asked about the possible impact of the fracking process on water, District Collector D.K. Balaji said the State government had issued the NoC after taking into consideration all aspects. “If there is any violation, action will be taken as per law. Public interest comes first,” he said.
Published – December 25, 2025 07:25 pm IST
