Guwahati: Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, has sought the intervention of Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri regarding a gas leak incident at an ONGC installation in Assam‘s Sivasagar district.
The gas well has been witnessing a blowout, an uncontrolled release of gas (or fuel) due to failure of pressure control systems, since June 12.
The leak, a blowout, occurred at Rig No. 47(A) and Well No. 335, which is located in the Audrasagar oil field at Barichapori, Bhatiapar.
Despite ONGC’s attempts to plug the leak, it is still continuing, affecting about 1,000 people.
As per reports, around 350 families living in the area have been evacuated and are now living in a relief camp.
In his letter to Puri, Gogoi wrote, “Today, I visited the Bhatiapar Barichapori village in the Sivasagar district of Assam. Five days ago, there was a loud explosion at an ONGC rig, which led to a significant and ongoing gas leak. Even after five days, there has been no improvement in containing the leak. A large volume of gas continues to escape into the atmosphere, resulting in various health issues for the local population.”
“Residents in the camp, particularly children, are experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, and asthmatic issues, Gogoi wrote.
“Students are facing difficulty in concentrating on their ongoing examination preparations due to the continuous noise and the overpowering smell of gas,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi also mentioned that locals told him the incident occurred during an attempt to explore a new production zone and that this sensitive operation was not carried out directly by ONGC but was outsourced to a private firm reportedly linked to local influential politicians.
“The firm has previously been involved in other rig-related accidents. The decision to entrust such a critical task to a contractor with a questionable safety record raises serious concerns about accountability and oversight,” Gogoi mentioned in his letter.
The Congress leader urged immediate intervention from the Union Petroleum Minister, emphasizing that the issues of the affected people must be prioritized and that the Pollution Control Board be instructed to rigorously monitor the air quality in and around the affected area.
“Reports have to be independently verified by a third-party laboratory to ensure accuracy and public trust,” he wrote.
He said that people of Assam are still haunted by the traumatic memories of the 2020 Baghjan disaster in Tinsukia district, which caused widespread harm to human life, property, and the environment.
“Many compensation and rehabilitation issues from that incident remain unresolved. The current crisis in Sivasagar has revived those painful memories and deepened public concern about the enforcement of safety protocols in oil and gas operations across the state,” Gogoi said.
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“I sincerely hope that ONGC will act with greater urgency to fully contain the leak, restore public safety, and conduct a thorough investigation into the lapses that led to this disaster,” Gogoi said in his letter to Puri.
