NEW DELHI: Environmental activists in Assam have submitted a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) requesting the immediate revocation of the permission granted to Oil India Limited (OIL) to establish a research and development center in the Dibru-Saikhowa Eco-sensitive Zone (DSESZ), which is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot.
The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, covering 340 square kilometers, is classified as a biosphere reserve and is home to several endangered species, including the white-winged wood duck, the Gangetic dolphin, and the Bengal florican.
The letter, addressed to the secretary of MoEF&CC, raises objections to the permission granted to OIL for the R&D center. It demands a transparent and independent environmental impact assessment that includes input from local stakeholders before any future proposals are considered.
Activists have expressed their concerns regarding OIL's poor environmental track record. They pointed out an incident in 2020 involving OIL's Bhagajan oil well, which is located just 1.6 kilometers from the Dibru-Saikhowa Eco-sensitive ZonE had resulted in a blowout that caused significant damage to the surrounding vegetation, wetlands, and wildlife. Furthermore, the findings of the National Green Tribunal highlighted OIL's failure to conduct mandatory biodiversity impact assessments.
Reports indicate that this incident led to a 41% deterioration in vegetation, a 25% increase in wetland chlorophyll-a levels, and a significant loss of wildlife.
In 2024, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) rejected a proposal for commercial drilling of seven wells inside Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, specifically using Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) technology. This decision was based on Supreme Court orders from 2006 and 2023, which prohibit mining activities in and around national parks.
The contradiction of rejecting a previous project while granting approval for another in the same area raises questions about the government's intentions.
“The choice of Dibru-Saikhowa seems to be less about scientific necessity and more about circumventing prior rejections of commercial drilling,” stated Apurva Ballav Goswami, the environmental and social activist who authored the letter on March 27, highlighting these concerns.
The FAC which operates under MoEF&CC, recommended the project's establishment on 27 January, 2025.
“All the major oil companies such as IOCL, ONGC, BPCL, and OIL and their R&Ds and operational centres are strategically located in industrial zones of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Guwahati, Dehradun, Ahmedabad and designed to leverage infrastructure while avoiding ecological disruption then why Govt chose to set up it in fragile areas. The issue is getting local traction and may soon snowball into a major protest site,” ask Goswami.