Assam: Baghjan oil well incident sufferers demand compensation, gherao DC office

The natives of Baghjan in Tinsukia, Assam, who were adversely affected due to the blowout and subsequent blast, on July 6^th, 2020 evening gheraod the office of the Deputy Commissioner demanding compensation.

The protestor raised slogans against the Oil India Limited (OIL) and the district administration demanding immediate compensation.

On June 27^th, 2020, the Oil India Limited called off all the operations at the Baghjan oil well blowout site in Tinsukia, Assam for the day as the floodwaters have submerged a large part in the region.

Also read: Assam: Operations in Baghjan oil well blast site halted due to flood

After Heavy Rainfall at Baghjan for the last few days, the area had been severely hit by flood and the site has been fully inundated with floodwater. All River levels are rising constantly. Dangori River is overflowing. All connecting roads to the site have been submerged with floodwater. The approach road to the Debris Area via Plastic Park Road has been closed by District Administration for all vehicular traffic from the bridge over Maguri Beel as the road from the bridge to well site it is severely damaged by floodwater. At many places, water is flowing over the road with a knee to waist-deep water. The stretches of water overflow are about 150 to 200 metres each. Flood water has entered the Debris area and has inundated large area.

After the initial blowout on May 27^th, 2020, the BGR 5 oil well of Baghjan area, Assam was engulfed in a massive fire after a blast on June 9th, 2020 resulting in the death of endangered species in and around the national park including the rare dolphins. A dense cloud of smoke was seen erupting out of Oil India BGR 5 well was seen.

On the next day of the blast, a team of experts arrived from Singapore to Assam, who reached the site on Monday and were supposed to work on it. Many families of nearby villages have been affected badly. Locals fled due to the ensuing situation and so far have been kept in 12 relief centres.

The blowout happened while workover operations were going on to produce gas from new sand (oil & gas-bearing reservoir) at a depth of 3,729 metres. Earlier, the well was producing around 1 lakh Standard Cubic Metre per day (SCMD) of gas from a depth of 3,870 metres,” an Oil India statement said.

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