The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has revoked its June 19 closure notice to Oil India Limited (OIL) with certain conditions after the latter gave an undertaking to respond to queries concerning its operations.
The withdrawal letter issued late on June 22 by PCBA member-secretary D.N. Das followed discussions between OIL chairman and managing director Sushil Chandra Mishra and PCBA chairman Y. Suryanarayana.
Soon after receiving the notice, OIL asked the PCBA to withdraw the order that was “technically not feasible” to comply with. The exploration major had also threatened to go to court to stay the order.
The five conditions that the PCBA set included “submission of a detailed time-bound environmental management plan” within 15 days of receiving the withdrawal letter for “environmental mitigation and extinguishing of the fire” at the Baghjan oilfield .
Well Number 5, one of 23 crude oil and natural gas production wells in the Baghjan area of eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district, burst into flames on June 9. This well also experienced a blowout – uncontrolled escape of gas at great velocity – on May 27.
Green activists said the blowout and the fire, contained to over the wellhead, damaged large swathes around the well, specifically the Maguri-Motapung wetland nearby. This wetland is within the eco-sensitive zone of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, home to wild horses, besides other endangered animals and birds.
The other conditions set by the PCBA pertain to the disposal of hazardous waste by adhering to the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The PCBA had in its closure notice said OIL had not taken environmental clearances to operate in the Baghjan area. This was among 10 conditions it said the company had violated while operating in the area for more than eight years.
OIL production loss
OIL has been producing a sizeable quantity of crude oil and almost 29% of its natural gas in eastern Assam from the Baghjan Oilfield. However, blockades of its installations by local organisations since May 27 has caused the exploration major a production loss of 8,291 metric tonnes of crude oil and 10.56 of million metric standard cubic metres of natural gas so far.
Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court has postponed to July 13 the hearing of a public interest litigation petition against the Centre’s approval to OIL for drilling at seven locations under the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The drilling, OIL said, was through the sophisticated extended reach drilling technology that would allow them to explore horizontally from spots beyond the park.
