Progress report (II) of the Committee of Experts constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) headed by Justice Brojendra Prasad Katakey dated December 10, 2020.

The committee was constituted to look into the issues concerning well Baghjan-5 in Tinsukia district of Assam. The blowout of well Baghjan-5, located in Doomdooma revenue circle of the district of Tinsukia on May 27, 2020 and subsequent explosion on June 9, 2020 had led to filing of applications before the NGT. The applications raised allegations of failure and negligence on part of Oil India Limited (OIL) in preventing the blowout and mitigating its impact.

Till date, the Committee has submitted three reports (Preliminary Report, First Interim Report and a Progress Report). Further, the Committee had already constituted a multidisciplinary committee to ascertain the impact on the eco-sensitive zone of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Maguri-Motapung wetland and also assess the impact on agriculture, fishery, aquatic habitat, domestic animals, grasslands in the neighbouring area.

The multidisciplinary committee would also verify the ecological impact of the condensate in the site of the incident and provide its findings thereto which would then be provided in the subsequent report of the Committee of Experts.

The present report stated that OIL has intimated the district collector, Tinsukia of its intention to earmark Rs. 62.546 crores, presently available, for payment of ad interim compensation to the affected 600 affected families of Baghjan village.