Well number five in Baghjan has been spewing gas uncontrollably for 19 days.
Tinsukia:
Assam chief Sarbananda Sonowal said on Sunday that the government was using experts from Singapore, Australia, America and Canada to deal with the fire in a gas well in the district of Tinsukia.
Baghjan’s number five well has been uncontrollably spitting gas for 19 days and it caught fire Tuesday afternoon, killing two of the Oil India Ltd firefighters at the site.
Although the fire around the well was extinguished, the company declared an area up to 1.5 km in radius as a “red zone” to avoid any untoward incidents.
The fire in the well is so massive that it can be seen more than 30 km away with thick black smoke rising for several meters endangering local biodiversity in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park after the eruption of May 27.
Sonowal and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan visited the site during the day and met with leaders of various student organizations in Tinsukia.
The CM informed them that the government was using experts from Singapore, Australia, America and Canada to put out the fire and a committee of experts is also being set up to study the environmental impact and propose corrective measures.
Speaking of the environmental impact as well as the reported tremors around the fire site, Sonowal said the government was ready to form a committee with experts from IIT Guwahati, the Jorhat Regional Research Center and Geological Survey of India on the issue.
After receiving comments from the panel of experts, the government will take appropriate and time-bound measures, he said.
The CM expressed its gratitude to the student leaders for bringing all their support and cooperation to the government at this critical stage.
Pradhan said his ministry is taking all possible measures to control the situation.
He said that the petroleum industry is very indebted to the people of Assam for the support it provides to government and industry in this crisis situation.
Representatives from the All Moran Students Union, All Asom Mottock Yuba Chatra Sanmilan, All Assam Chutia Students Union, All Adivasi Students Association, Gorkha Students Union, All Assam Students Union, AJYCP and others were present at the meeting.
Later, speaking with journalists, Sonowal said the government would take all measures for the full development of Baghjan and that pragmatic measures would be taken to avoid such an incident in the future.
