AGARTALA, June 17 � The ONGC crisis management team has shifted its strategy after the first attempt to drill mud in order to seal the well to stop gushing out of gas failed at Konaban site.
The gas leakage continues at the site for the third day today even as members of the crisis management team are working round the clock to put a cap on the leakage point of the well, said an official of ONGC corporate communication here today.
The team headed by K Satyanaranyan, Manager, ONGC Tripura Asset, is working on a different plan to stop leaking of natural gas from the well. Though he chose not to reveal the new plan, sources said the ONGC management has decided to bring equipments including high pressure pumps from Assam�s Shivsagar and Rangia to kill the unrest.
As part of precautionary measures, the crisis management group has exhorted the local ONGC officials to shift all the equipments from the Konaban well site. �Following instruction from the higher ups, we have started shifting machineries from there�, he said.
As panic gripped the nearby villages, local MLA visited the site and urged the people not panick as it poses no threat to population.
The entire area is still cordoned off by jawans of paramilitary Tripura State Rifles (TSR) while senior ONGC officials and members of crisis management group are camping there to closely monitor the situation.
Officials said, there are 19 gas wells in the vicinity of Konaban of which three were sealed by using �Christmas Tree�. The �dormant� wells require routine maintenance or check as per the prescribed safety norms of the oil giant ONGC. On Tuesday, engineers and labourers carried out a routine check on the well no 9 and around 7 pm employees of the site spotted that gas was coming out of the well at high speed triggering panic among the villagers.
