Guwahati, June 18: In response to the ongoing gas leakage for the last six days from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) rig sites at Bhatiyapara locality in the Sivasagar district, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday wrote a letter to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Taking to X, CM Sarma wrote, “Conveyed our concerns regarding the Barichuk Gas Blowout incident to Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri ji. I have requested him to direct @ONGC_ to step up well control efforts in mission mode so that the situation doesn’t aggravate further.”
In the letter, the Chief Minister highlighted that the persistent high pressure at the well — despite ONGC’s interventions including water blanketing, high-volume mud pumping, and junk shots — is causing growing anxiety in the surrounding villages.
“The prolonged nature of the incident is causing considerable distress,” CM Sarma wrote, adding that over 330 families have been evacuated from the affected area and are currently being supported by the state government with basic relief and safety assistance. In a pointed critique of the response from the public-sector energy giant, CM Sarma expressed dissatisfaction with ONGC’s handling of the crisis.
“The local perception is one of inadequate urgency and seriousness in ONGC’s response,” he said, contrasting it with the “war-footing” response seen in similar past incidents. The CM noted that the current approach appears to be “procedural and lacking in visibility”.
Following a personal visit to the affected site and relief camp on June 16, CM Sarma assured evacuees that their concerns would be raised at the highest level. In his letter to the Union Minister, CM Sarma urged immediate intervention, calling for ONGC to enhance its technical and leadership presence at the site, adopt a more mission-mode approach, and improve engagement with displaced communities to restore public confidence and bring the situation under control.
The Chief Minister asserted that the state government is providing all necessary relief to the affected people at this hour, but a more proactive approach is needed from ONGC to mitigate this situation and restore normalcy.
IANS