24-hour OIL blockade declared in Assam on July 26

TINSUKIA: As many as 6 Moran community unions of Assam have condemned the act of lathi charge on protesters in the Tinsukia district yesterday.

The crowd gathered near now-closed Baghajan oil well site preventing Oil India Limited (OIL) from recovering materials used in the drilling.

In course of the same, the six unions have declared 24 hours OIL blockade program on July 26 from 5 am.

During this period, OIL has to stop all digging, production and transportation-related works, the organizations said.

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"The protest had taken place because OIL has yet to give full compensation to the victims of the Baghjan blowout," said the organisations, accusing the PSU of "betraying" the Moran community.

The six unions have also demanded OIL to furnish a complete report on their spendings as a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) over the years in the Tinsukia district within 24 hours.

The unions in their proposal have mentioned to stop all the 'anti-biodiversity' works near the Maguri Motapung wetland and also have demanded shifting of the 36 inch pipeline across the wetland to some other place.

"Many people were earning their daily bread and butter through the wetland. Now it has been completely destroyed," lamented a Moran leader.

Additionally, the unions have put forth a proposal to provide treatment for the protesters who sustained injury in lathi-charge.

On May 27 last year, a natural gas blowout has occurred in the Baghjan Oilfield's Well No. 5, which caught fire on June 9 resulted in deaths, large-scale local evacuations, and environmental damage.

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