Letters to the EDITOR: Xatra Land

Xatra land

This letter has a reference to a very timely front-page news item published in your esteemed daily dated June 15, regarding the massive encroachment of the Xatra land across the state. Every Asomiya must shudder to think and know that 15,288 bighas of land are under encroachment in 29 districts of Assam. This ultimately has come to light with the final report of the commission led by Pradip Hazarika (MLA Sootea), formed by the government. This huge encroachment, in fact, started in the fifties, immediately after independence under the patronage of Sir Sadullah, and the subsequent Congress government supported it due to reasons known to all by this time. Barpeta, Darrang, Kamrup, Majuli, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, etc., in particular, where the encroachment of Xatra land has taken place. The Xatra management committees were also partly responsible, as they did not utilise the vacant land for any purpose, like community farming, as these illegal immigrants’ encroachers are like locusts. Needless to say, the apathetic attitude of the then Congress government encouraged encroachment, thus very much threatening the culture, tradition, and security of the locals.

All said and done, can we the Asomiyas expect that all 15,288 bighas of Xatra lands lying from Dhubri to Sadiya will be freed from these locusts in no time, as these Xatras are the crown of our rich culture? At least we can expect it from the BJP government under CM Sarma, who has come to power promising to secure our ‘jaati, bheti and maati’. The state judiciary is also requested to take note of this issue, as wherever there is a constitution, there is a convention. Time is running out. Jai Ai Asom.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury

Guwahati.

Promote generic medicines

We as a population have become so brand conscious that we even buy the medicines by the brand, because of which the generic medicines, which have the same effectiveness and are much more affordable, are not trusted by the common public, as they are not branded under any name.

We have to think about the weaker sections of society who also have to buy branded medicines at exorbitant prices, as our pharmacies do not store generic medicines. The government and the healthcare professionals must actively promote generic drugs through public awareness campaigns, advertisements and inclusion in medical prescriptions. This would lead to significant savings in healthcare costs and improve access to essential treatment.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

Blowouts at Baghjan and Sivasagar

The blowout at Baghjan remains etched in the memory of the people of Assam—especially the residents of Baghjan. The disaster began on May 27, 2020, when a gas and oil leak occurred at an Oil India Limited (OIL) field. The situation worsened when a fire broke out at the site on June 9, 2020. After months of intense efforts, the blowout was finally controlled and sealed on November 15, 2020. The incident not only caused extensive environmental damage but also displaced many residents, with OIL spending hundreds of crores in compensation and emergency operations, including bringing in experts from outside Assam and even abroad.

Now, history seems to be repeating itself. On June 12, 2025, a similar blowout occurred at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) site in Sivasagar. Although, fortunately, no fire has broken out as of yet, the area is filled with natural gas, posing an invisible but grave risk to lives and the environment. The proverbial "Sword of Damocles" hangs over the region, and uncertainty looms.

In recent years, both OIL and ONGC have increasingly outsourced their oil and gas exploration activities to private contractors instead of managing them in-house. While there is no inherent issue with outsourcing to competent private players with the requisite expertise and resources, the problem lies in the lack of scrutiny, quality assurance, and accountability. The Baghjan incident revealed that the private party involved lacked adequate capabilities, forcing OIL to rely on external help at a high financial and human cost. Yet, no white paper or transparent report has been issued by OIL detailing the lapses or learnings from the incident.

This pattern suggests a disturbing unwillingness to learn from past mistakes—whether at a personal level or within corporations. The ONGC blowout at Sivasagar once again points to a resource-deficient private contractor being entrusted with high-risk operations. A company of ONGC’s stature, holding Maharatna status, should have anticipated and mitigated such risks.

It is imperative that the government holds ONGC accountable for this incident. Moreover, those responsible—whether through negligence, poor oversight, or lack of preparedness—must not be allowed to go scot-free. Public safety, environmental preservation, and responsible use of public funds demand full transparency and strict action.

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati.