After paying visit to the spot of state-run oil explorer ONGC's oil spill in a pipe in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said she would review the rules and conditions for green clearances and regulation of oil & gas pipelines spread across the country.

Natarajan raised concerns about the operational practices of ONGC, and said, "I am going to review the conditions applied when giving clearances for pipelines and if required impose new ones."

She added that she would issue a notice to the state-run oil explorer to decommission all idle pipelines.

The Environment Minister raised concerned following an oil leak by an ONGC pipeline laid in Tamil Nadu. The incident took place because an unused pipeline drained oil into farm fields in around eight villages in the Nagapattinam district of the state.

The oil spill from the unused pipeline affected around 300 acres of cultivable land.

An official from the environment ministry pointed out that ONGC does not have a disaster management plan, and a protocol for decommissioning unused pipelines. In addition, the ONGC also has no monitoring system keep a watch on its pipelines.

Meanwhile, ONGC has announced a compensation of Rs 36,000 per acre to the affected farmers, but the farm-owners are demanding more, arguing that the soil has ruined as the leaked oil has penetrated into it.