GUWAHATI: Aggrieved villagers affected by the Baghjan gas well fire on Thursday resorted to an indefinite protest against the “delay” in payment of compensation by blocking the passage to Baghjan EPS (Early Production System) and roads to Tinsukia and Doomdooma towns.
Protesters under the banner of Baghjan Gaon Yuba Milanjyoti Sangha set up a makeshift camp on the middle of the road and demanded compensation to all the affected families at the earliest.
Several families have lost their farmlands, houses, cattle and poultry besides other belongings in the massive fire at Baghjan gas well number five on June 9, 2020.
Sources in Oil India Limited have confirmed that a total of 2756 affected families were surveyed for compensation and an amount of Rs 20 lakh was given to each of the 12 families whose houses were fully damaged by the fire.
Besides, an amount of Rs 9 crore was paid by OIL to the Tinsukia deputy commissioner for immediate financial relief to around 3000 families.
“However, the Tinsukia district administration has not submitted the full assessment report till now, which is why we are unable to release the compensation,” an OIL spokesperson said.
The protesters resented the fact that despite several pleas, the Tinsukia district administration has not released compensation to the affected villagers.
Members of the Baghjan Gaon Yuba Milanjyoti Sangha have in the past three weeks also staged a sit-in demonstration near the Tinsukia DC’s office. But there has been no response from the district administration.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in June set up a committee, headed by former Gauhati High Court Judge B P Katakey, to assess among other aspects the amount of compensation to be provided to the affected families.
Accordingly the committee fixed compensation of Rs 25 lakh for families whose houses were completely destroyed, Rs 10 lakh for houses severely damaged and Rs 2.5 lakh for moderately damaged houses.
“The fire has made life miserable for thousands of families, who are now put up in relief camps. Apart from loss of land and property, many villagers who had cultivated tea have lost their gardens as the fire and the uncontrolled release of condensate gas from the well head for over three months had damaged the tea leaves,” rued one of the protesters.
Activists say that the entire bio-diversity of Baghjan and its surroundings have been affected by the blowout and fire.