DIBRUGARH, June 5 - Today was World Environment Day. The daily bulletin issued by Oil India Limited (OIL) had this very apt heading, which read: �Present Status of the Well; Well is flowing Gas Uncontrollably.� The gloomy picture was attempted to be sugar-coated with the following in the second paragraph: �OIL will be providing an amount of Rs 30,000.00 (Rupees thirty thousand) to each of the impacted families as an immediate relief. The detailed beneficiary list with name and bank account details will be prepared by the District Administration.�
The decision to offer some financial assistance to the affected families, said to be upwards of 630, according to sources, was taken at a tripartite meeting held at the office of the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner this afternoon. Members of the Baghjan Gaon Milan Jyoti Yuva Sangha played a crucial role in the matter.
The OIL team was led by its Director (Human Resources & Business Development), Biswajit Roy.
A three-member team from the Singapore-based firm Alert Disaster Control is now expected to reach Baghjan in Tinsukia district by this Sunday. The three personnel are Michael Ernest Allcorn, Senior Well Control Operations and Team Leader; Craig Neil Duncan, Senior Well Control Engineer, and Edward Harris MacLeod, Senior Well Control Specialist. It is likely that the Singapore firm may induct more specialists as needed, once the ground situation is assessed by the three-member advance team. OIL is arranging for special gear like Breathing Air Cascade and H2S Detection for use by the experts.
On Thursday, the Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Amar Nath had meetings with Civil and forest department officials. He apprised himself of OIL�s operations in Tinsukia district. He also discussed the OIL�s operations which are near the Dibru Saikhowa National Park. The DFO (Wildlife) of Tinsukia briefed the official, and later took him around the National Park for a first-hand experience of the ground situation.
Today, the locals of Baghjan area and its surroundings withdrew their agitation at OIL�s Baghjan Early Production Set-up, following discussions initiated by the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia.
