Assam: Baghjan oil field fire spreads to nearby villages, Sonowal orders action
Guwahati/IBNS: The fire which broke out at a gas well of Baghjan oil field in Assam’s Tinsukia district is now spreading to nearby villages and left several houses and other properties burnt.
A massive fire took place in the gas well of Baghjan oil field following a blast on Tuesday, following which there has been panic among the local people.
According to the reports, the blast occurred at a time when the experts and engineers of Oil India Limited were engaged to control the gas. Oil emission continued at the site after the blowout of a gas well in the oil field managed by Oil India Limited on May 27.
At least 30 houses nearby the Baghjan oil field have been destroyed in the fire, which is visible from 4-5 km away. As many as 1610 families have been evacuated from the site.
Several fire tenders from Oil India Limited, ONGC, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh districts had rushed to the spot and engaged in operations to control the situation.
The top officials of the district administration, Oil India Limited have also rushed to the site.
Baghjan – about 43 km away from Tinsukia town where the gas well blow out occurred on May 27 – is close to Maguri-Motapung wetlands, just one kilometre from the oil field where the blow out at one of the OIL Rigs at OIL Well no 5 Baghjan in the Motapung Maguri Beel area had happened.
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, spread over 340 square km is a biosphere reserve and home to 36 mammal species including tiger, Gangetic dolphin, feral horses, 382 bird species, is also very close to Baghjan oil field.
On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said that he has already spoken to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the phone regarding the incident and directed the Chief Secretary of the state government and DGP to take appropriate measures to ensure safety and security of the local people.
The Assam Chief Minister told media persons that: “Assam government has already taken appropriate measures to ensure safety and security of the local people following the fire incident of the gas well of Baghjan oil field. I directed the Chief Secretary of the state government and DGP to take appropriate measures for it."
"The NDRF teams, paramilitary forces and the officials of the District administration have reached the site. I already spoke to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and appealed the centre to take immediate action to control the situation,” he said.
“I also appealed Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh to engage Indian Air Force to control the situation,” Sonowal said.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
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