GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Friday sought Centre’s help as natural gas continued to gush out following a blast at the Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Baghjan BGR Oil Well No.5 in Tinsukia district on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called up Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and apprised him of the incident. After he urged Pradhan to take immediate remedial measures to assuage the situation, the Union Minister assured all help.
Sonowal also discussed the situation with the CMD of OIL, Sushil Chandra Mishra, over phone. He urged Mishra to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of public health in the vicinity while stopping gas leakage to prevent any further damage.
Mishra and the chairman of Assam Pollution Control Board Y Suryanarayana would visit the affected area on Saturday to take stock of the situation and plan remedial measures.
Following the gas leakage, some 4,000 people living in nearby villages were evacuated to a safer place where they were lodged at a relief camp. The incident affected the aquatic animals, including the endangered Gangetic dolphins, at river Dibru and the wildlife in Dibru Saikhowa National Park.
According to reports, the gas continued to emanate at the site even as the OIL was trying to bring the situation under control.