Urgent Appeal for Gas Leak Control
On Tuesday, Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, reached out to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, urging him to instruct the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to intensify their efforts in managing a gas leak that has persisted for over a week.
The leak originated from a blowout at an ONGC oil well located in the Sivasagar district on June 12. A private contractor, SK Petro Services, was responsible for operations at the site on behalf of the public sector company.
According to reports, approximately 1,500 individuals have been impacted by this incident, with 70 families relocated to a relief camp in Bangaon town as of June 15.
In his correspondence to Puri, Sarma highlighted that over 330 families had to be evacuated from the vicinity, and the state is providing essential relief and safety measures to those affected.
Sarma expressed concern that while local authorities and state agencies are actively involved, there is a perception of insufficient urgency in ONGC's response. He noted that previous incidents were managed with a sense of urgency, whereas the current situation seems to be handled in a more procedural manner.
Despite ONGC's attempts to control the leak using methods such as water blanketing and high-volume mud pumping, Sarma indicated that the well remains active.
“The ongoing nature of this incident is causing significant distress among the local communities,” he stated.
He urged Puri to ensure that ONGC enhances its technical and leadership presence at the site, adopts a more proactive approach, and increases communication with the affected residents to restore confidence and manage the situation effectively.
Residents in the surrounding areas have been unable to cook due to the gas leak, prompting officials to provide them with cooked meals while monitoring the situation closely.
The district administration has deployed health and animal husbandry officials to assess the well-being of both residents and their livestock.
In response to the ongoing crisis, ONGC announced the initiation of an internal investigation to determine the cause of the leak. Bhaskar Choudhury, the executive director of ONGC’s Assam Asset, remarked that the leak is unprecedented in their 60 years of operational history.
“We have never faced a situation like this before,” Choudhury stated. “This area has not previously experienced a gas deposit of this scale.”
He reassured the public, saying, “We are committed to addressing this issue responsibly and will not shy away from our responsibilities.”
