By Nava Thakuria*
Pollution Board Presses ONGC, Families Wait for Aid
Guwahati: Over 330 families displaced by the natural gas leakage from the Bhatiapar crude oil well (RDS-147A) in Rudrasagar oilfield, Sivasagar, await compensation from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), while the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), presses the company to explain its operations without mandatory environmental clearances.
On June 21, 2025, the PCBA issued a show-cause notice to ONGC, accusing the state-sponsored Maharatna company of operating well number 147 in the Bhatiapar–Barichuk area without securing the consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO) under various environmental legislations, as guided by the National Green Tribunal. The PCBA gave ONGC, India’s largest crude oil and natural gas exploration and drilling company, two weeks to explain why action should not be taken against it, with the deadline approaching this week. Failure to respond may lead to environmental compensation fines (ECF) and other penalties.
The blowout, which began on June 12 at the well under the operation of SK Petro Services, a private firm, compelled over 330 families to leave their homes for safety, disrupting agriculture and raising concerns about long-term general health. The high-pressure gas flow also impacted the surrounding environment heavily. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the site and announced an aid package of Rs 25,000 per affected family. Expressing concern over the incident, Sarma urged ONGC to act with a mission mode to control the unabated gas flow and drew the attention of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, urging prompt actions considering the safety of local villagers.
Protests erupted in the locality against the negligence shown by ONGC and SK Petro Services. Agitators from Asomiya Yuba Manch, All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union, Anusuchita Jati Chatra Santha, and Sangrami Sena demanded adequate compensation for losses in agriculture and potential health impacts. Many residents recalled the Baghjan disaster, where well number 5 of Oil India Limited (OIL) experienced a gas discharge on May 27, 2020, caught fire on June 9, and was doused on November 15 with help from a Canadian expert team. That incident claimed three human lives, forced the sudden evacuation of over 9,000 families, and caused loss of properties and livelihoods, while damaging thousands of hectares of Maguri-Motapung wetland and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, marking it as one of India’s worst industrial disasters.
On June 27, an experienced ONGC team, supported by three foreign well-control experts, contained the leakage at Rudrasagar well RDS-147A without any casualties or ignition incident. Union Minister Puri commented that “full dousing of the well was made possible through careful planning, international collaboration, and the exemplary competence of the engaged team members.” ONGC’s New Delhi-based corporate communications department issued a statement acknowledging the exemplary contributions of its team, foreign experts, and dedicated local people who supported the effort. The company asserted it “maintained full transparency throughout the operation” by issuing daily press releases to keep stakeholders informed and extended heartfelt thanks to the district and State administration, Union petroleum and natural gas ministry, and the local community for their unwavering support and cooperation, which were instrumental in the safe and timely execution of the complex operation. ONGC reiterated its commitment to upholding the highest standards of safety, environmental responsibility, and operational excellence in every phase of the mission.
Despite the successful capping, ONGC has not announced any compensation for the affected villagers, prompting criticism from the All Assam Engineers’ Association (AAEA). While congratulating the crisis management team and foreign experts, the AAEA urged ONGC to announce adequate compensation to the affected villagers, who had to abandon their homes for two weeks due to the high-pressure gas blowout. The forum of graduate engineers based in northeast India raised a pertinent question: “how many days the largest Indian crude oil and natural gas company need to declare its compensatory package to over 330 Asomiya families, who used to live surrounding the concerned well and needed to be evacuated for avoiding any adversity.” Environmental activist Soumyadeep Dutta urged ONGC to pay the compensation urgently and added that “the system of ONGC and OIL to lease out a dry well to a private firm should be scanned properly as it may involve corrupt practices.” Questions also persist about why India continues to depend on foreign experts to deal with hydrocarbon disasters, highlighting gaps in domestic expertise.
– global bihari bureau
