New Delhi: The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a conditional No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Vedanta Limited’s Cairn Oil & Gas division for drilling 20 onshore wells in Krishna district.
The approval follows a request by the company under the Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy, 2018, after it was awarded the development of an onshore oil and gas field in the region.
According to a recent government order, Vedanta had initially sought permission to drill wells at 35 locations across multiple village limits.
The Water Resources Department examined the proposal as the Bandar Canal passes through the central portion of the proposed block. After scrutiny, the government granted a conditional NOC for drilling 20 wells, subject to specific terms and safeguards.
The order clarified that the NOC is issued purely from an irrigation perspective and is temporary in nature. Vedanta has been directed to secure all other statutory clearances from relevant departments before starting operations.
The company has also been explicitly barred from drawing water from irrigation canals, including the Bandar Canal, Krishna Delta System canal network, drainage channels, ponds, reservoirs or any other surface water sources.
The Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation), Chief Engineer of the Krishna Delta System, and the Krishna district collector have been asked to take necessary action. Cairn Oil & Gas is India’s largest private oil and gas producer, contributing about 25 per cent of domestic crude output.
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