Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a conditional ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) to Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division) for drilling 20 onshore oil and gas wells in Krishna district. According to a recent government order, Vedanta stated that it was awarded the development of an onshore oil and gas field under the Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy, 2018. The company sought an NOC from the state’s Water Resources Department for drilling wells across multiple village limits, noting that the Bandar Canal passes through the centre of the proposed block.
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“After careful examination of the matter, the government hereby issues ‘No Objection Certificate’ to M/s Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division), Mumbai, for drilling 20 Nos. of wells at the locations mentioned at para (2) above subject to the terms & conditions as mentioned at para (3) above,” the order said.
The order also directed the Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation), Water Resources Department, Vijayawada, the Chief Engineer of the Krishna Delta System, Vijayawada, and the Collector of Krishna District to take necessary action.
The government clarified that the NOC has been issued solely from the irrigation perspective and is temporary in nature. Vedanta must secure all required approvals from the relevant departments before starting operations, in line with prescribed norms.
“No water shall be drawn from irrigation canal sources such as the Bandar Canal, KDS canal network, drainage network, ponds, reservoirs, or any other surface-water source,” the order said.
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Cairn Oil & Gas, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, contributing about a quarter of the country’s domestic crude output, with a stated goal of raising this share to 50 percent through sustainable and responsible practices.