Assam PCB asks OIL to shut production in Baghjan, control fire

Guwahati, June 20 (IANS) The Pollution Control Board (PCB) of Assam has directed the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) to close down all production as well as drilling operations in the Baghjan oil field at once and to take steps to put out the fire and cap gas leakage, an official said on Saturday.

The PCB in a closure notice to the OIL said that the regular annual report was not submitted seriously, violating the law, and it was liable to be punished under the law in force.

"The PCB refused the OIL's request for extension of time for reply to the show-cause notice issued to the company on June 10. The OIL nonchalantly violated the provisions of law in force, causing pollution to the environment," the official said quoting the PCB notice.

The PCB notice said that in exercising the powers conferred upon the board under the relevant provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the OIL was directed to close down all production as well as drilling operations of all installations in Baghjan oil field immediately.

The PCB notice, issued on Friday, asked the OIL to take all necessary measures for extinguishing the fire and control blow-out of the oil well No. BGN-5.

According to the OIL officials, the government-owned company has so far lost production of over 7,627 MT of crude oil from 33 wells and around 10 MMSCMD of natural gas from five gas wells due to blockades by protesters in two districts of Assam.

The officials said that as experts from the US and Canada associated with Singapore-based firefighters M/S ALERT, the NDRF and engineers intensified efforts to douse the oil well fire in eastern Assam's Tinsukia district for the 12th day on Saturday, local people and various students' organisations had forced OIL to stop its operations at many drilling locations and nine work-over locations in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts.

The agitators are blocking roads and obstructing oil and gas production for the past many days to demand higher compensation for the affected and holding OIL responsible for the mishap. The OIL has so far provided Rs 30,000 to each of the affected families.

A tripartite meeting was held at the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner's office on Saturday between Baghjan Gaon Milanjyoti Yuva Sangha, District Administration and OIL to resolve the blockade issue.

The Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district, Bhaskar Pegu, and OIL Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Sushil Chandra Mishra, among others, were present in the meeting.

Locals said the fire had left a trail of devastation in the adjoining areas, including a famous lake. Farms with standing crops as well as ponds and wetlands in the adjoining villages have also been affected.

Meanwhile, the Assam government on Friday extended the enforcement of the Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act, 1980 for another six months to prohibit strikes and agitations by employees, workers and technical personnel in the oil and gas sectors.

--IANS

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