Baghjan villagers resort to blockade; talks with OIL today

A CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA: The villagers of Baghjan, affected due to gas blowout from an oil well, resorted to indefinite oil blockade from Tuesday due to alleged non-payment of full compensation to them.

In a joint statement to the media issued by the president and the secretary of the 'Baghjan Gaon Milanjyoti Yuva Sangha' (BGMYS), Satyajit Moran and Tikhnajit Hazarika respectively stated that they (the affected villagers of Baghjan) were not fully satisfied with the judgement pronounced by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 19.

Demanding full payment of compensation to the affected people by OIL authority, they decided to stop production and exploration activities of OIL (Oil India Limited) in the region till the payments were made to them.

They had also demanded a tripartite meeting between OIL, the District administration and Baghjan villagers on February 24. Though the meeting was not held on Wednesday, the OIL administration has invited the Sangha for tripartite talk on February 25.

According to the spokesperson of BGMYS if the outcome of the discussion was not satisfactory then oil blockade would continue for indefinite period, they warned. Meanwhile, oil production in EPS (Early Production System) was totally stopped from Tuesday. Unless the OIL authority considered the case of the affected villagers on humanitarian ground and pay adequate compensation and rehabilitate the affected residents of Baghjan as well as the entire affected zone as is usually done in the case of natural disaster in mind, there would not be any softening of their stand towards the OIL authority, he warned.

Mentionably, the gas blowout from BGR-5 well of the OIL took place on May 27, 2020. Subsequently, fire engulfed the well on June 9 severely affecting the surrounding area for several days. The well fire was killed on November 15, 2020 with the help of experts from Canada.

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