It has also said adequate pollution control measures are will be put in place.
If oil or gas is found, GAIL would give compensation, take up infrastructure development, create job opportunities and protect the environment, said Vinay Prasad, Deputy General Manager and C S Singh, Chief Manager of GAIL India told the villagers at a meeting at Mannargudi yesterday.
If no oil or gas is discovered, the land would be restored to its original form, they added.
The officials sought to dispel fears about pollution, saying surface soil would be removed with modern equipment after identifying an underground field of hydrocarbon reserves.
The land would be taken for one year and the compensation amount will be fixed to the farmers' satisfaction, they said.
The officials also pointed out that about 20 villages in Mannargudi and Thiruthuraipoondi blocks in Tiruvarur district with rich hydrocarbon reserves are not close to Muthupettai mangrove reserve forests or the Udhayamarthandapuram and Point Calimere birds santuaries.
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GAIL plans to drill three exploratory wells -- two in Tiruvarur district and one in Thanjavur.
Tiruvarur Collector S Natarajan, who also took part in the meeting, requested GAIL to lay the oil or gas pipeline one metre below the surface and ensure proper casing.
S Ranganathan, Secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, said they had no objection to drilling for oil or gas, but steps should be taken to ensure agricultural activities and the environment were not affected while laying pipelines.