Locals block road, confine Baghjan gas well workers after affected villager kills self

Angry people affected by the gas well fire at Baghjan in Assam blocked a road and confined employees working at the site for several hours after an inmate of relief camp died allegedly after consuming poison, officials said Sunday.

Sukleswar Neog, who lost his house in the gas well fire on June 9 and was living in a relief camp since then, consumed poison on Saturday and died at a hospital.

When his body was brought to Baghjan, local people blocked a road demanding that a Rs 2-crore compensation be given to his family along with a job to one of its members in Oil India Ltd (OIL), officials said.

The damaged Baghjan gas well of PSU major Oil India Ltd in Assam is spewing gas uncontrollably for 54 days since a blowout took place on May 27, which caught fire on June 9. Two firefighters of OIL also died at the site then.

Over 9,000 people were shifted to relief camps after the well suffered the blowout and the subsequent inferno.

The agitated public also demanded the arrest of the OIL Chairman and MD for alleged negligence of the company that led to the tragedy as well as "not doing enough" to douse the fire.

When the police reached the site and were trying to pacify the protesters, one policeman fainted and he was taken to a hospital.

The company said villagers did not allow their officials to return from the site after completing their works on Saturday.

"A barricade was erected by local villagers blocking the road from well site since afternoon yesterday. More than 200 personnel from OIL, ONGC, Alert, Schlumberger and other contractors working at site including OIL Directors were not allowed to go out of the site after completing the day's work yesterday," a company statement said.

After prolonged efforts by the OIL management, district authorities and police, the barricade was removed at around 2:30 am on Sunday, it added.

OIL said it continues to face protests and blockades across many of its wells and field locations, leading to heavy production loss in the last few months.

It said due to blockades, there was a production loss of 442 MT of crude oil and 1.62 Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter Per Day of natural gas on Saturday because of disruptions in 14 oil wells and five gas wells.

"Cumulative production loss since May 27, 2020 due to bandhs and blockades: 14,385 MT crude oil, 29.59 MMSCM of natural gas," the statement said.

OIL said various assessments and impact studies of the blowout as well as the blaze in villages and nearby forest areas by multiple agencies such as ERM India, TERI, CSIR-NEIST and IIT-Guwahati are going on at present.

On the relief and rehabilitation process, OIL said the surveys for assessment of damage for compensation by the district administration are in progress in both Tinsukia and Doomdooma circles.

"Total number of families surveyed till July 18 in both Tinsukia and Doomdooma circles is 1,751," it added.