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Another explosion at Baghjan oil well injures three foreign experts

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:08:03 +0000

Image Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

The Baghjan Well no. 5 operated by Oil India Limited (OIL) witnessed another explosion on July 22, in which as many as three foreign experts were said to be injured. The incident took place when efforts to douse the blowout fire were underway, reported ANI. The experts have been rushed to the hospital, said Tridip Hazarika, spokesperson OIL in a statement.

Assam: An explosion occurred near well no.5 of Oil India in Baghjan, Tinsukia. 3 foreign experts at the site injured. They have been rushed to hospital. The incident occurred when operations to douse the fire at Baghjan oil field was going on. The operation has been halted now. https://t.co/d8mzsmwdPc pic.twitter.com/0azjUzRRrR

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2020

It was reported that experts from US and Canada who had joined officials from Singapore’s Alert Disaster Control for well capping operations, were injured in the incident. The fire at the Baghjan well no. 5 has been raging since June 9 following a gas blowout.

Experts had wished to exit operations

The Hindu had reported that a few days prior to this incident, the six experts working to control the fire had conveyed that they wanted to exit the operations. It was said that they were however virtually held captive in torrential rains after locals had blocked all exits from the Baghjan blowout site to demand compensation for one of the residents who had allegedly ended his life due to delay in receiving compensation.

Sukleshwar Neog, a 45-year-old fish farmer had allegedly died by suicide due to mental harassment and reported delays in receiving compensation from authorities. His family and relatives had refused to accept his mortal remains and staged a road blockade to get the administration to meet their demands.

After intense negotiations with the locals, in a written assurance, the Tinsukia District Administration had said that the interim financial compensation to those affected by the Baghjan gas well blowout will be resolved by July 27, The Telegraph reported. A total of 1,751 families have been identified as affected and residents have demanded that the district administration pay Rs. 20 lakh to each family as ‘advance compensation’, reported The Telegraph.

The administration also agreed to provide Neog’s kin Rs. 10 lakh in compensation, a government / OIL job to his widow or next of kin and also agreed to bear the educational expenses of his five daughters.

Issues that the blowout brings to the fore

The Baghjan oil well blowout and the subsequent fire has brought many issues to the fore.

Safety during the pandemic – Two months on, most families are yet to receive compensation from OIL and the administration. However, what is more pressing is that almost 9,000 people are choking in relief camps, especially during the coronavirus pandemic which calls for social distancing.

People in the relief camps have been getting food, but complain of unhygienic conditions there. Speaking to the Logical Indian, an inmate said that there were no clean toilets and bathrooms and that people had been living and sleeping in the same set of clothes for days.

Threat to jobs and livelihood – Residents have been robbed of their jobs and livelihoods and since the fire has not been contained, there is no way to ascertain when people would be able to resume normal lives. Crops and water bodies have been affected and eco-tourism in the area too now stands impacted for a long time to come.

Environmental impact and questionable clearances – The blowout has had a severe impact on the ecology of the region. The Maguri Motapung Beel and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park are under threat due to their close proximity to the blowout site. However, what is most concerning is that even while the fire at the gas blowout site has not been contained, three more proposals by OIL for environmental clearance are up for consideration by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). Down To Earth reported that these proposals for oil and gas exploration were submitted on May 4, June 8 and June 19 respectively. These proposals are likely to be passed as all on and offshore oil and gas exploration projects are being considered as B2, i.e. not requiring public hearing under EIA 2006.

In 2016, OIL extended its drilling and testing to seven new locations at the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, bypassing the rule for public hearings to be undertaken for operations inside protected forests. It had instead asked the environment ministry to take into account the hearings that had taken place on July 8 and August 26, 2011, The Wire had reported.

This year, during the lockdown in April, it reported that OIL got environment clearances for USD 141 billion (INR 10.67 billion) for its proposal to have 16 wells and four production installations at Mechaki, on the other bank of the Brahmaputra. It is also seeking clearance for 179 wells and production installations with an investment of INR 35 billion in North Hapjan, Tinsukia and Dhola districts.

In June, the Assam Pollution Control Board had issued a closure notice to OIL asking it to stop its production and drilling operations at the Baghjan oilfield, alleging that it hadn’t taken prior consent to operate. However, the notice was subsequently withdrawn in pursuance of the affidavit submitted by OIL under some conditions. It was also attributed that Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal had an “indirect role” in resolving the issue out of court. The official said that Sonowal referred to OIL as a “national institution” and the fact that he highlighted OIL’s importance for gas supplies “clearly conveyed he was not in favour of closure”.

Sabrang India had first flagged the crisis on June 10 in an article by Dr. Hiren Gohain, The Price of Profit, OIL’s misadventure threatens Tinsukhia’s reserve forests & wild life sanctuaries which highlighted the Government of India’s sinister ploy to use the lockdown for granting environmental clearances to OIL’s drilling in Assam which endangered human and natural life. The very next day, Sabrang India had also reported of Pradip Saikia, a retired scientist, telling TV Channel Asomiya Pratidin about how political executives ignored the red flags raised in the matter.

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National Green Tribunal slaps Rs. 25 crore fine on Oil India Limited for gas well blowout

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 12:40:40 +0000

Image Courtesy:onmanorama.com

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an interim penalty of Rs. 25 crore on Oil India Limited (OIL) due to its failure in stopping the fire in Assam’s Baghjan 5 gas well that has adversely impacted the people and ecology in the area, Live Law reported.

In an order passed in two original applications – one moved by environmentalist Bonani Kakkar and the other by Assam-based NGO Wild Life & Environmental Conservation Organisation, a bench comprising Justices SP Wangdi and Siddhanta Das directed, “In view of the prima facie case made out against OIL on the extent of damage caused to the environment and biodiversity, damage to both human and wildlife, public health and, having regard to the financial worth of the Company and the extent of damage, we direct the OIL to deposit an initial amount of Rs 25 Crores with the District Magistrate, Tinsukia District, Assam and shall abide by further orders of the Tribunal.”

The applicants invoked the precautionary principle and the Polluters Pay Principle under Sections 20 of the NG Act, 2010 as well as the “Public Trust” doctrine, the order stated.

Apart from this, the bench constituted an eight-member committee to look into the matter and submit its preliminary report within 30 days. It has asked the committee to look at the cause of gas and oil leak, extent of loss and damage caused to human life, wildlife and environment, whether any contamination has been caused to the water, air and soil of the area, contamination of the water of the Dibru river, impact on the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Maguri-Motapung Wetland and assessment of compensation for the victims and cost of restitution among other aspects.

The complete order by NGT may be read below.

Last week, the Pollution Control Board, Assam issued a closure notice to OIL asking it to stop its production and drilling operations at the Baghjan oilfield, alleging that it hadn’t taken prior consent to operate. However, the notice was subsequently withdrawn in pursuance of the affidavit submitted by OIL under some conditions.

The BGN 5 oil well at the Baghjan oilfield in Assam saw a massive blowout on May 27 and on June 9, the well caught fire, increasingly compromising the safety of the people and flora and fauna in the vicinity. It was reported that OIL had subverted laws and extended its drilling and testing to seven new locations at the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, bypassing the rule for public hearings to be undertaken for operations inside protected forests. It had instead asked the environment ministry to take into account the hearings that had taken place on July 8 and August 26, 2011, The Wire had reported.

In an exclusive for Sabrang India, Dr. Hiren Gohain through his article, The Price of Profit, OIL’s misadventure threatens Tinsukhia’s reserve forests & wild life sanctuaries highlighted the Government of India’s sinister ploy to use the lockdown for granting environmental clearances to OIL’s drilling in Assam which endangered human and natural life. The very next day, Sabrang India had also reported of Pradip Saikia, a retired scientist, telling TV Channel Asomiya Pratidin about how political executives ignored the red flags raised in the matter.

Meanwhile, OIL in its daily update on Twitter has said that it has suspended the day’s operations due to heavy floods in the state. It said that floodwater has entered the debris area and has inundated a large area. The Kill pump area is flooded too and the OIL CMT Water Pump area is submerged with flood water. The bioremediation and environment impact studies too have been put on hold due to the floods in the state.

Update on blowout in Gas Well of Oil India Limited at Baghjan, Tinsukia District, Assam (27.06.2020). pic.twitter.com/qTCKONYI5H

— Oil India Limited (@OilIndiaLimited) June 27, 2020

The company also denied claims of oil flowing into water bodies from the gas well saying that the claims were false as all hydrocarbon coming out of the well is completely burnt at the well head.

False video:There is a video clip in circulation in social media wherein it has been claimed that lot of oil is flowing into nearby water bodies/river frm Baghjan blowout well.
This is totally false since all hydrocarbon cming out of the well is completely burnt at the well head. pic.twitter.com/aX0FuaTJUB

— Oil India Limited (@OilIndiaLimited) June 26, 2020

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