The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an interim penalty of Rs. 25 crores on PSU major Oil India Limited (OIL) over a blowout, and subsequent fire, of a natural gas well operated by OIL in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district and the damage caused to human life, wildlife, and the environment because of the industrial disaster.
“Given the prima facie case made out against Oil India Ltd 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 25 crores with Tinsukia District Magistrate,” the bench said in its order passed on Wednesday, 24th June 2020.
Acting on two different cases filed in the matter, NGT, in an order passed via video-conference, because of the restrictions imposed due to the raging coronavirus outbreak, also ordered the formation of an expert committee to probe, the damage caused by the blowout on May 27 and the subsequent fire on June 9.
The eight-member expert committee will be headed by retired Justice BP Katakey of Guwahati High Court and will have members from the Central Pollution Control Board (CBCB), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and also the district magistrate (DM) of Tinsukia.
The committee has been entrusted with the responsibility to probe the cause of the blowout, the extent of loss and damage caused to human life, wildlife, and environment, damage and the health hazards caused to the public and whether any contamination of the air, water, and soil of the area close to the gas well has taken place.
It will also investigate contamination of water in the nearby Dibru river, impact on Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP) and Maguri Motapung wetland. It will determine the people responsible for the fire, assess the compensation to be given to those affected and will also suggest preventive measures.
The tribunal directed the committee to submit its preliminary report “as expeditiously as possible and not later than 30 days” from the date of issue of the order.
The Baghjan oil field has a total of 22 producing wells – 18 crude and four gas. The oil field has been in operation since 2003. Well, number 5 at this field has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 27 days and it caught fire on June 9, killing two of OIL’s fire-fighters at the site. Over 1,600 families, who were living close to the site of the industrial disaster, were displaced.
The blowout and fire destroyed nearly 30 houses, covered houses, trees and water bodies in the area close to the well, which is barely 500 metres from Maguri Motapung wetland, an eco-sensitive habitat for rare species of birds, and about a kilometre from DSNP.
Following the accident, the PCBA (Pollution Control Board of Assam) sent a show-cause notice to the energy major on June 10 seeking details of its operations in Baghjan in the last 15 years, within one week.
The NGT order came on a plea filed by activist Bonani Kakkar and others alleging failure of the authorities in preventing the blowout of Baghjan oil well.