Exploration drilling of hydrocarbons
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The central government has recommended ‘in-principle’ approval for diversion of 4.9 hectares of forest land for exploration drilling of hydrocarbons at location HZO in Upper Dehing Reserved Forest under Digboi Division in the Tinsukia district.
Oil India Ltd had sought prior approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for non-forestry use of 4.9 hectares of Reserved Forest land for exploration drilling of hydrocarbons at location HZO in Upper Dehing Reserved Forest (West Block) under Digboi Division in Village Lakhipathar Block (A to E) in the Tinsukia district.
A proposal from Oil India Ltd under section 2 (1) (ii) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, regarding the use of reserved forest land in Assam for non-forestry use, was part of the agenda of a meeting of the advisory committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change held recently in New Delhi.
During the meeting, all the facts and background of the proposal, along with examination of the proposal in the Decision Support System (DSS), were presented and explained by the Member Secretary before the Advisory Committee (AC) for their examination and analysis. The committee was also apprised of the relevant provisions under other Acts, Rules and Guidelines relevant to the proposal and their significance.
The Committee, after detailed discussion and deliberation, recommended the proposal for grant of ‘in-principle’ approval for diversion of 4.9 ha Reserved Forest land for exploration drilling of hydrocarbons at location HZO in Upper Dehing Reserved Forest (West Block) under Digboi Division in Village Lakhipathar, Block (A to E), in the Tinsukia district, subject to the general, standard and following additional conditions:
(i) To avoid or avert disasters, the hazardous zone around the borewell, oil pads or pipelines or other ancillary infrastructure, including Blow Out Preventer (BOP), should be maintained by the user agency engaged in the mining or transportation of mineral oil as per the norms stipulated in the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948, and rules framed thereunder.
(ii) Recommendations made in the Nineteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas, 2022-23 (Safety and Security of Oil Installations of Public Sector Oil Companies with Specific Reference to the Baghjan Blowout Incident) shall be strictly adhered to by the user agency to avoid disaster in the future.
(iii) The user agency, in consultation with the state forest department, should keep the forest area of optimum width along the boundary of the area proposed for diversion clear of vegetation as a fire control line.
(iv) Silent transformers to be used during exploration activity to avoid noise pollution on surrounding wildlife.
(v) A Wildlife Management Plan and Human Animal Conflict mitigation plan shall be prepared at the cost of the user agency, and a copy of the said plan, approved by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) & Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the state, shall be submitted along with the compliance of in-principle approval. The cost of the aforesaid plan shall be deposited into the account of CAMPA.
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