Published 07:15 IST, June 14th 2020
Tinsukia Gas Tragedy: Petroleum Min Dharmendra Pradhan meets Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday, June 13 met Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and discussed the situation at Baghjan gas well
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Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday, June 13 met Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and discussed the situation at Baghjan gas well and the successive inferno that killed two persons.
The meeting was held at CM Sonowal's official residence at Brahmaputra State Guest House in Guwahati. Both, the Chief Minister and the Union Minister decided to make a joint visit to the accident site to review the situation on the ground.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated in a press release that the Assam government has been extending all needful support to OIL in its efforts to bring the situation under control.
During the meeting, the ministers spoke to senior OIL officials and Minister of Industry and Commerce of Assam, Chandra Mohan Patowary through video conference, to take account of the measures taken by OIL to cap the well. Patowary is presently camping at the Tinsukia incident spot.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stressed on working on a war footing to cap the well. He also assured that his ministry is closely monitoring the situation and that all necessary steps would be taken by the Centre to provide succour to the affected families.
Fire breaks out at Baghjan well
Set up by Oil India Limited in 2006, the Baghjan 5 well produces around 80,000 standard cubic metres per day of gas from a depth of 3,870 metres. The blowout at this well occurred on May 27 when two simultaneous operations- servicing of the top portion of the well and testing new sand in the well were going on. At least one dolphin and a variety of fish died as the residue of gas condensing after coming in contact with water spread to a distance of 5 km in the nearby areas.
The well caught fire at around 1.14 pm on Tuesday. As per reports, the blaze was so huge that it could be seen from a distance of more than two km. The Indian Air Force deployed three fire tenders to douse the massive fire after a specific request from Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. On June 10, PM Modi spoke to the Assam CM and assured him all possible support from the Centre.
About 7,000 people from areas near Oil India's Baghjan gas well, which has been spewing gas for over two weeks and eventually caught fire, have been moved to 12 relief camps, company and government officials said on Wednesday. In a statement, Oil India Limited (OIL) said it has also formed four teams comprising senior officials to implement measures to mitigate the crisis arising out of the gas well blowout and the massive fire that broke out at the site on Tuesday.
(With inputs from agency)
07:15 IST, June 14th 2020