Dibru-Saikhowa in peril

The inferno that has been on at a gas well at Baghjan right on the boundary of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is not likely to be brought under control in the next four or five weeks. That is what experts have said, and dittoed by the government. Though an accident is an accident, the Baghjan incident cannot be considered as an ordinary accident. The simple reason is – while the company engaged to operate the Baghjan well apparently possesses the technology to explore and extract petroleum and natural gas, what it did not have is any kind of tool or technology to meet any emergency. This is the kind of private company that has been hired to operate a well, which exploded on May 27 and then turned into an inferno on June 9, causing irreparable damage of hundreds of villagers belonging to the indigenous communities, and literally destroying a major portion of the 765 sq km Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. Over 1,600 families have been taking shelter in relief camps; many have lost their dwelling houses, granaries, cattle, poultry, fisheries, and all kinds of documents and other belongings, besides standing crops, fruit trees etc. Two brave young men laid down their lives trying to douse the raging fire. But then, while houses will be rebuilt one day or the other, cattle and poultry and various household belongings can be procured again provided greedy government officials do not indulge in swindling the monetary compensation that is due to the villagers, what no power on earth can probably restore is the glory of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, which is also an important bio-sphere reserve having among other treasures an Important Birds Area (IBA). Literally located on the Brahmaputra, Dibru and Lohit with the Subansiri emptying itself from the north, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park mainly consists of moist mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, cane-brakes and grasslands. It is also the largest salix swamp forest in North-eastern India. Look at the fauna of this National Park – according to the Assam Forest department website, 36 species of mammals have so far been recorded, of which 12 are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. They include tiger, elephant, leopard, jungle cat, bear, small Indian civet, squirrel, Gangetic dolphin, slow loris, Assamese macaque, rhesus macaque, capped langur, hoolock gibbon, wild boar, sambar, barking deer, water buffalo, feral horse to name a few. The National Park is about 35.84 per cent moist mixed forest, 9.50 per cent degraded forest and 21.25 per cent grassland. It is also a globally reognised identified Important Bird Area (IBA) having more than 382 species of birds; the list includes greater adjutant stork, lesser adjutant stork, greater crested grebe, large cormorant, open-bill stork, black-necked stork, large whistling teal, grey-legged goose, grey-headed fishing eagle, griffon vulture, osprey, crested serpent eagle, spot-billed pelican, baer's pochard, greater spotted eagle, pale capped pigeon, and white winged wood duck – the last being also the 'state bird' of Assam. While the fire and the oil spill spread more towards the Maguri-Motapung wetlands, which is the Important Bird Area (IBA), media reports quoting environment protection groups have said that while the majority of birds have already either left Dibru-Saikhowa, many must have also perished in the fire and severe air pollution caused by the gas leak. No amount of money can bring back the birds or regrow the trees and shrubs that the inferno has destroyed. What is most despicable is that there has been total silence on the part of the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the Baghjan tragedy. The Union Petroleum Minister – or for that matter the Prime Minister too – has not uttered a word on the irreparable damage the irresponsible oil company which was given the contract to operate the Baghjan gas well has caused to the National Park. 

Also watch: Evening Bulletin | 8th June, 2020