Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will permanently cap one of its natural gas wells in Assam from where gas has been leaking for the past week.
The gas well in Assam’s Sivasagar district has been witnessing a blowout, an uncontrolled release of gas (or fuel) due to the failure of pressure control systems, since June 12.
Taking to X, CM Sarma said, “After exploring multiple approaches with great effort and precision, ONGC is now advancing with a more practical and safer strategy to cap the leak. Close to 50% of the groundwork—such as site preparation and equipment mobilisation—has already been completed.”
He said a team of experts from the US had arrived to help in the process, which will start from Saturday.
“A team of experts from the United States is reaching the site this evening to provide additional insights and support. Full-scale operations under the new plan are set to begin tomorrow,” the chief minister said.
According to Sarma, stopping the leak and capping the well is expected to take another 5-6 days. “I request the affected residents to be patient and to cooperate with the efforts,” he added.
He said that both the central and state governments have been monitoring the situation 24×7 and are fully committed to ensuring safety, restoring normalcy, and resolving the issue at the earliest.
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Around 330 families have been evacuated from near the gas well since it witnessed a leak on June 12. The families who have been taking shelter in a school have been provided with Rs 25,000 each by the state government as an interim measure.
