Fear erupted in Baghjan and nearby villages when an oil rig operated by Oil India Limited started spewing gas condensates uncontrollably for an hour. Residents of the village have called on the local authorities to stop all drilling operations until safety measures are fully installed in the area. OIL officials have assured that the situation is under control and safety measures have been taken to prevent any further incidents at the BGI oil rig.
OIL spokesperson Bhairab Bhuyan told that the situation was immediately brought under control. “A technical fault was reported from the BGI rig on Wednesday afternoon when the rig started leaking gas. This is part of a routine operation as we are trying to bring the said oil rig into production. We have informed the local people. Assured that there is no reason to panic as safety measures have been taken,” said Bhuyan.
According to Ritu Chandra Moran, a victim of the Baghjan oil fire tragedy, whose house is barely 300 meters from BGI, a mist of oil condensates enveloped the area followed by a loud bang. came. “We were alarmed when some neighbors ran towards the rig inside the grassland at Maguri Motapung Wetland,” he told.
Moran and several other neighbors were prepared to evacuate their homes while fire tenders and OIL officials took control of the situation.
Manoj Hazarika, a resident of Baghjan and one of the petitioners in the ongoing case related to the damage caused by the May 2020 blast, said the fire tenders arrived late. “Fire tenders arrived late. Only around 5:30 pm, the discharge came under control,” he added.
Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Swapneel Paul has sent officials including a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Circle Officer to take stock of the situation. “We have received a report that the situation has been brought under control. I will wait for the report of the site visit team and suggest appropriate measures,” Paul said.
On the other hand, the residents of the village have asked OIL to immediately stop the drilling activity in the said oil rig. “There is already a committee appointed by the Supreme Court and the NGT which has declared the drilling operations in and around Baghjan illegal. The judicial committees have found that the oil rigs are violating various environmental laws. Yet, the Tinsukia district administration is allowing these rigs to run right next to the rig where the oil caught fire and devastated the area,” Hazarika said.
According to Hazarika, the violations came after an oil spill in May 2020 followed by a fire on June 9 that burnt the houses and fields of Baghjan residents and affected several nearby villages. Hazarika and Niranta Gohain, residents of Natun Gaon, knocked on the Supreme Court’s door representing the people affected by the oil fire. The Supreme Court recently directed the NGT to deal with all compensation issues related to Baghjan within two months.
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