Baghjan Fire: OIL grappling with compensation, damage assessment

A CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA: While all efforts are now inching towards capping of the OIL's well at Baghjan to douse the fire which had broken out on June 9, Oil India Limited (OIL) faces the twin problems of paying adequate compensation to the affected people on one hand and assessment of damage and environment impact on the other.

On top of it, the continuous tremor that began since the evening of June 9 rendering villagers of Natungaon, Betijan and Gotong villages to take shelter in Guijan camp, spread to more and more areas engulfing places like Rupban and Daimukhia on the outskirts of Doomdooma town, Rupaisiding, Talap up to a distance of around 20 km from the place of accident. The frequent jolts in these places since last Tuesday triggered panic amongst the people as they experienced disturbed sleep all along.

OIL employed ERM (Enterprise Risk Management) for Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and ecological survey ofMaguriMotapung Beel and the Energy & Resources Institute), New Delhi for bioremediation of sludge. However, of late they have engaged IIT, Guwahati for thermal mapping and sonic measurement to ascertain the cause of the tremor in addition to CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat which has continuously carried out recording at five of its sensors, besides one accelerometer set up in the vicinity of Baghjan - 5 well.

For Environment Impact Assessment, M/s ERM conducted consultation with local fishery experts and carried out ecological survey in MaguriBeel area on Friday. With this, M/s ERM has completed their impact assessment prior to capping of the well. Next phase of impact assessment will be conducted after the capping operation is completed.

For providing relief and rehabilitation, survey job for assessment of damage for compensation in both Tinsukia and Doomdooma Circle is in progress. Total 69 more families were surveyed in Tinsukia Circle on July 17. Total number of families surveyed till July 17 both combined in Tinsukia and Doomdooma Circle is 1,722. 

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