Oil India Limited's gas well fire in Assam continues for a month, displaced families angry, worried

The fire that broke out in a gas well of Oil India Limited (OIL) at Baghjan in eastern Assam could not be doused even as a month passed on Wednesday fuelling anger among more than 10,000 displaced residents who are still taking shelter in relief camps since then.

On June 11, OIL CMD Sushil Chandra Mishra promised to Assam industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary that the fire would be doused in 21 days but the time period elapsed on June 30.

The gas well blew out on May 27 and it caught fire on June 9, a day after a team of experts from Singapore were flown in to tackle the disaster. Two fire fighters of OIL died, several houses were burnt down, tea gardens, agricultural land damaged while the condensate flowing out of the well had adverse impact on Maguri-Motapung beel, an ecologically rich waterbody situated near the mishap site.

OIL officials on said international experts including those from Singapore continued their efforts to cap the gas well, which was still burning even on Wednesday. Local residents said the long halo of the flame can still be seen from Dibrugarh town, situated about 70-kms away during night while the heat can be felt from about one kilometer.

OIL chief spokesperson, Tridiv Hazarika told DH on Wednesday that it would take another four-five days to cap the burning gas well.

Residents of Baghjan and nearby villages in Tinsukia district staged a protest in front of Tinsukia deputy commissioner's office on Tuesday alleging OIL's failure to compensate the affected families and to douse the fire. They also blocked the roads towards Baghjan oilfield affecting OIL's oil and gas exploration activities in other wells. OIL officials, however, said flood that halted their work last week also delayed their work.

The fear among the displaced people living in relief camps were growing as Assam witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases. "Even as the government is talking about social distancing, is it possible to maintain distancing in relief camps? Will the OIL or Assam government take responsibility if Coronavirus spreads in the camps?" said a local leader at Tinsukia. Assam's Covid-19 cases crossed 13,000 mark on Tuesday.

A statement issued by Hazarika said the blockades staged by the angry locals since May 27 had caused production loss of 9504 MT of crude oil and 12.91 MMSCM of natural gas in Baghjan oilfield. Operations were disrupted in 11 oil wells and five gas wells, he said.