Invoke Environment Protection Act to punish companies: WWF

BAGHJAN OIL WELL INFERNO

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India has requested the Assam Government to invoke the Environment Protection Act, 1986 in order to take action against the companies responsible for causing 'irreparable damage' to the environment and people in the areas around OIL's well on fire at Baghjan in Tinsukia district.

Section 16 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 defines penalties for 'offences by companies'. "Where any offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was directly in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly," the Section reads.

WWF India has also urged the State Government to initiate immediate steps to restore the habitats in and around the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Maguri Motapung Beel.

"We appreciate the Assam Government for constituting a committee to carry out an in-depth assessment of impacts on biodiversity of the area. Efforts are also on to try and cap the burning well, which may take up to four weeks, according to experts. But the government has to invoke relevant provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 to take action against the company (ies) responsible for the irreparable damage to the environment and people. It is also imperative to ensure that no further damage is caused to the area and no such incidents are repeated in the future," a source quoting a WWF official told this reporter on Saturday. The WWF said with the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park notified to an extent of 0 (zero) kilometre to 8.7 kilometres, this incident has once again proven the imminent danger of having a zero kilometre ESZ around Protected Areas (PAs).

"This accident and its catastrophic impact on the biodiversity of the area, affecting ecosystem services and related livelihoods of people, reinforces the need to have carefully considered demarcations of ESZ around PAs as required under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986," the WWF India said.

According to WWF India, the Baghjan oilfield is located approximately 1 km from the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, a natural resort for rare and threatened species and 1.5km from the Maguri Motapung Beel, a valuable wetland and an 'Important Bird Area'. "Wildlife in the area has been exposed to danger and instances of carcasses of endangered Gangetic dolphins, India's National Aquatic Animal, as well as those of rare birds with feathers soaked in oil and other animals have been recovered," it pointed out. 

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