Massive fire in Baghjan gas-leaking well

Chief Minister talks to Defence Minister, seeks help from IAF to douse the blaze

OUR CORRESPONDENTS

TINSUKIA/ DOOMDOOMA/ DIGBOI: Amid the much-hyped claim and assertion by OIL (Oil India Limited) and the team of experts from Singapore-based M/s Alert Disaster Control that the gas blowout from a Baghjan oil well (BGR No 5) in Tinsukia district was under control, a massive fire erupted there at around 2 pm on Tuesday releasing thick smoke high into the sky on the 14th day of the blowout. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who had earlier talked with Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the gas leakage started, on Tuesday talked to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to seek help from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to douse the blaze. He has also urged the people of the affected areas not to panic, saying that all necessary steps have been taken by the State Government to ensure safety of local people in Baghjan.

The fire, after engulfing almost half-a-km radius of the blowout area, was fast spreading towards the nearby residential area, according to eye witnesses. Some nearby dwelling houses reportedly caught fire till reports last came in.

The fire has caused tension among inmates of relief camps that were set up for the affected people in that area. A few incidents of violence was also reported in the nearby sites. Security forces have been reinforced to control the unprecedented public anger even as both the DC and the SP camping on the site are pacifying the villagers.

As many as 700 families, comprising 3,500 people, have earlier been shifted to three relief camps after the leakage began. The State-owned OIL has also announced financial aid of Rs 30,000 to each of the affected families.

The oil well at Baghjan in Tinsukia, around 550 km east of Guwahati, has been leaking gas for the past 14 days, causing enormous damage to the region's wildlife, wetlands and biodiversity. Many small tea growers in the area have also claimed layers of gas condensates in their tea gardens.

The uncontrolled blowout — that has been emitting gas and condensate since May 27 — has already extensively damaged standing crops, agricultural fields and tea plantation on the southern side of the Maguri-Motapung Beel. It has also adversely affected the Dibru Saikhowa National Park and 'Maguri-Matapung Beel' besides various localities like Natungaon and Motapung on the northern side of the beel.

The extent of the devastation is yet to be ascertained as condensate and droplets from the blowout resulted in the wilting of vegetation. Moreover, an oily layer has been witnessed over the water bodies across the affected areas.

Over 45 environmentalists, academics, wildlife experts, writers, social activists and journalists have expressed concern over the environmental consequences of the blowout near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, a biodiversity hotspot. As the temperature is soaring high during the past two days, environmental activist and resident of Natungaon, Nirantar Gohain apprehends that the fire from the blast might spread to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park on the south-western side and the Maguri-Matapung Beel on the east-western side as well the villages adjoining the areas. He has demanded that the Government of India should declare the incident as 'National Disaster'.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has informed through a statement that all necessary steps have been taken by the State Government to ensure safety of local people in Baghjan; and instructions have been sent to local district and police administration about the same. He also said that the Chief Secretary and the DGP have been directed to take active steps to control the situation while keeping the armed and paramilitary forces, fire brigades, NDRF and SDRF engaged to ensure safety of the people in and around the affected area. The CM also asked Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to visit the site at Baghjan and take stock of the situation there.

Saying that OIL, ONGC, Government of Assam, armed forces, paramilitary forces, NDRF, SDRF among others have been fighting to bring the fire under control and ensure safety of the local people, Sonowal expressed the hope that they would succeed in their efforts soon. He also called on the people in the affected area not to panic as both the Central and State Governments have been taking all measures to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, officials said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which has been deployed in the area after the gas leakage started on May 27, reinforced their strength to control the fire while top officials of Assam are also reviewing the situation.

An OIL press release said that after the preliminary discussion and de-briefing session, the experts from Singapore's 'Alert Disaster Control', led by Michael Ernest Allcorn, along with the OIL team, reached Baghjan well site on Monday afternoon.

An OIL official informed, "The Singapore-based experts engaged in the task have expressed confidence of capping the well soon thus bringing the situation under control."

A white paper must be published

Oil India Limited (OIL), being a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), will definitely not hold anybody accountable. But explanation must be given by the OIL authority as to why in the modern times such an incident occurred when all state-of-the-art preventive measures were at place.

They should have been much wiser after the Dikom fire that had happened about 15 years ago.

A white paper must be published for the knowledge of the people of Assam.  

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