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Company claims farmer occupying land as trespasser

Water mixed with crude oil caught fire in the well at a farm land at Kalavar near here on Sunday morning.

Owner of the land,  Gregori Patrao, had refused to part with his land for the phase III project of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

The well caught fire as soon as Patrao, a progressive farmer, switched the pump on to water his plantation. A ball of fire engulfed the well which singed the plants. Patrao was also using the well water for drinking purpose.

It is suspected that crude oil got mixed with ground water leading to the mishap.

“Oil like substance was seen floating in the well,” Patrao said. He said it was the first time fire was noticed in the well though oil content in well water was common in the vicinity.

The Fire and Emergency Services personnel from the MRPL rushed to the spot at 9.30 am and doused the flames by 1.30 pm. Patrao has urged the MPRL to make alternative arrangement for drinking water for the family.

MRPL clarifies

The MRPL in a press release said that the incident occurred when someone apparently set fire to the hydrocarbon accumulated on top of an open well located in the land.

The source of this fire and how it happened requires to be investigated. The Security and Fire and Safety personnel of MRPL were not allowed to enter the said land. They could enter the land only with police intervention and put out the fire, the release stated.

The release states that Patrao had occupied the land illegally despite receiving compensation for vacating it.

The MRPL had planned to put up tankages on the said land for its phase III project. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board demolished Patrao’s house and cattle shed on April 28, 2010 after he refused to vacate the land. Patrao later staged a hunger strike for 25 days in front of the office of the deputy commissioner and several organisations had supported his fight. He withdrew the protest following an assurance by the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

The government later asked the Regional Commissioner, Mysore to submit a report after a spot inspection. Though the Commissioner attempted to address the issue by promising an alternative land, Patrao insisted that he wanted the same land back. The MRPL, in the press release, claimed that Patrao continues to occupy the land as a trespasser. It said the company was unable to proceed with installation of the tankages due to continued illegal stay of Patrao family.