Baghjan blowout harmed Gangetic dolphins: Report
Activists are concerned as uncontrolled oil, gas emissions will contaminate groundwater
A report of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) stating that the Baghjan well blowout has harmed the endangered Gangetic dolphins and the uncontrolled oil and gas emissions will have a long-term impact due to contamination of groundwater, has become a major area for environment activists in Assam.
The report comes amid the report of another fire breaking out at Baghjan on Sunday, just 200 metres ahead of the oil well blowout site. The fire broke out from the condensate oil kept in the field at Baghjan oil field in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia.
Oil India Limited (OIL) has not yet confirmed the reason of the fire which has created panic among the locals at Baghjan. Earlier, an explosion occurred at the site in which three foreign experts were injured.
The study of the WII on cumulative impact of the gas wells has revealed that oil wells in and around the national park will be detrimental to the region’s unique ecosystem and that it is extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.
Calling for an assessment of the cumulative impact of the gas wells, the CII in its report to the Centre said that a dolphin was found dead from poisoning from the oil spill. The location of the blowout near DibruSaikhowa National Park, the Maguri-Motapung wetlands, are home to endangered hoolock gibbons and Gangetic dolphins.
The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has sent the WII’s findings to the Assam government to begin restoration work.
“Given the potential of oil blowout and oil spill disaster like this, such oil wells in the vicinity of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and important bird area complex, will be detrimental to the conservation value of this unique ecosystem,” the report said.
The report said that richness in bird species was found to increase with an increase in distance from the site, possibly due to the oil spill and intense noise from the blowout.
The decline in bird species was highest in grasslands (59 per cent) and wetlands (85 per cent) compared to areas located away from the site, it added.
The report said that there has been a massive decrease in the Gangetic dolphin presence in Lohit, Dibru, and MaguriMotapung after the blowout. It added that the noise due to the blowout can be heard as far as 12 km and beyond, making the area extremely unhealthy for humans, animals, and birds.
The report pointed out that the 65-70 hectare burnt out area includes crop fields, grasslands, and swamps. “There was a visible oil spill on June 16, downstream of the well.”
The report stated that fish species have also declined in wetlands and river tributaries, where dissolved oxygen levels have fallen due to the oil spill. The concentration of toxic polyaromatic hydrocarbons in fish samples from the wetland was found to be 10-100 folds higher than normal.
The report is based on a study of WII scientist Qamar Qureshi. The ministry has forwarded the findings of the CII to all the stakeholders including the Oil India Limited, which said that they are also looking into the voluminous report and its recommendations.
It is significant that a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also faulted Oil India Limited (OIL) for mismatch between planning and execution, leading to eastern Assam’s Baghjan well blowout that caused “extensive damage” to public and private resources.
The eight-member panel headed by retired Gauhati High Court Judge Brojendra Prasad Katakey was formed on June 24. A team of experts, including six foreign disaster control specialists, is yet to cap the well that has been ablaze since June 9.