TINSUKIA: Two fire fighters died as they were trying to douse a huge inferno at a gas well in Tinsukia district on Tuesday even as the fury continues to spread out of control sending statewide shock and anger.
The inferno took place on Tuesday when a team of experts brought from Singapore were trying to defuse smokes of gas bellowing from the gas well belonging to Oil India Limited at Baghjan. The technical snag took place on May 27 resulting in the gas blow out from the ill fated well forcing over 1700 families to be displaced in 3 km radius.
Local residents blame it all on the oil and gas giant for ill preparedness in extracting oil and natural gas. According to them, OIL officials were trying to bring the situation under control only deploying a dozen of fire tenders without seeking assistance from the outside experts. The experts of Singapore was brought only after 12 days and by then the situation has turned worse.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who called up PM Narendra Modi, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday only dispatched his industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to take stock of the situation while Congress has blamed the Centre for failing to act promptly.
It's almost a fortnight the Baghjan oil well in the vicinity of Dibru Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam has been blowing out with fury at a huge cost to flora and fauna, homesteads, agriculture and environment#SaveDibruSaikhowa#savedehingpatkaipic.twitter.com/Pl357vbOma
— Pradyut Bordoloi (@pradyutbordoloi) June 9, 2020
Identified as Tikheswar Gohain and Durlov Gogoi who have gone missing were found dead on a nearby waterbody on Wednesday morning. Gogoi is considered a veteran footballer who lost his mother three months back.
The OIL officials are clueless of an end to the inferno since the experts have not been able to bring the situation under control. Thousands of hectares of paddy fields have been covered by the oil and gas layers who have been demanding adequate compensation. OIL is learnt to have suspended two senior engineers after a preliminary enquiries.
Guwahati: Expressing concern over the Sivasagar crude-oil well gas leakage in the last few days, a northeast India based forum of graduate engineers have urged both Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to come clear about the so-called ‘abandoned’ wells, which have the potential to harm human life, property and environment, as the concerned private parties operating such wells often do not come forward to take responsibility. All Assam Engineers Association (AAEA), in a statement, also appealed to the Union government in New Delhi to hold the concerned ONGC/OIL officials accountable for any disaster at an oil or gas well after having declared it '...
On May 26, 2025, Gaurav Gogoi, a three-time MP and son of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, was appointed President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). His appointment marked a generational shift in Assam’s Congress leadership and was seen as a strategic move to reinvigorate the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Gogoi’s clean image, recent Lok Sabha victory from Jorhat by a margin of 1.44 lakh votes, and appeal among youth positioned him as a serious contender against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Gogoi's appointment replaces Bhupen Kumar Borah and is backed by a team of working presidents including Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey, and Pradip Sarkar....
Assam, a state rich in natural resources, has faced recurring nightmares from its oil and gas industry, with devastating impacts on its people and environment. The Baghjan gas leak of 2020, operated by Oil India Limited (OIL), and the ongoing ONGC gas leak in Sivasagar (June 2025), operated by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), are stark reminders of the human cost of industrial mishaps. This blog post delves into the profound effects on common people in both incidents, compares their timelines for containment, and highlights the urgency of addressing systemic issues to prevent future tragedies.
The Baghjan Gas Leak (2020): A 173-Day Ordeal
On May 27, 2020, a catastrophic blowout...
The Tai Ahom Indigenous Rights Forum convened its Executive Committee Meeting today at the Tai Educational and Cultural Centre in Boiragimoth, Dibrugarh. The meeting was presided over by Chow Sanjib Rajkonwar, President of the Forum, and saw the active participation of executive members, advisors, and regional representatives from across Assam.
The gathering served as a vital platform to deliberate on the strategic direction of the Forum, with a special focus on aligning the movement for Tai Ahom rights with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 2007. The Forum reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to advocating for the...
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to accept a plea by All BTC Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) raising concerns over the state’s “indiscriminate” move to detain and deport suspected foreigners.
A Bench of the top court comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma asked ABMSU to move the the Gauhati High Court.
In writ petition, the organisation questioned the growing pattern of deportations by the Assam Government through informal “push back” mechanisms, without any judicial oversight or adherence to the safeguards envisaged by the Constitution.
Guwahati: Rains in Assam have stopped. But the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have yet to recede rendering over 4 lakh people homeless in as many as 17 districts of the state.
In Cachar district alone over 1 lakh been have been rendered homeless because of the 4 day long incessant rains. Sribhumi district also witnessed no less misery of 90,000 people to be followed by Nagaon district where over 65,000 people have been affected.
A huge area of Lakhimpur district has come under the surging water after the Ranganadi dam released its excess water pushing thousands of families in brimful misery. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is on a stock taking visit to the...
Lakhimpur: In the early hours of Saturday, around 1 a.m., the water level of the Ranganadi River began to overflow following the release of dam water from the Panyor Hydroelectric Project by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), located upstream at Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh. The sudden release of water, without any prior warning, submerged vast areas of Assam’s Lakhimpur district, leaving thousands of people in distress.
Many residents were caught unaware in their sleep as the floodwaters entered their homes. People fled with only the clothes they were wearing, leaving behind all belongings. The floodwaters swept through 243 villages across the Ranganadi and Naoboicha...
Thousands of party leaders and workers gave a warm welcome to Gaurav Gogoi as he set foot in Jorhat for the first time since becoming the Assam Pradesh Congress President. Gogoi, son of the late former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, visited his personal residence in Jorhat district. Reflecting on his father's political beginnings in Jorhat, he remarked, “I feel my father’s blessings from wherever he is today. This is a moment of immense joy and gratitude for me. I am thankful to the people of Jorhat.”
Gogoi told the media, “Had I not won the Lok Sabha elections from Jorhat, I don’t think our central leadership would have given me this significant responsibility.”
Upon his arrival from...
New Delhi: The Assam Government’s recent policy for arms license for the indigenous people might lead to the spike in the fake encounter case if one goes by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi.
Gogoi on Friday strongly slammed the criticised government's decision to grant arms licenses to civilians near border regions and demanded steps to halt the move. According to Gogoi, the policy is detrimental to Assam and its people which instead will serve the interests of the ruling party..
The people of Assam, he said, want water, employment, education and healthcare. He further said the genuine shopkeepers and traders might face difficulties and that the guns would...
Guwahati: There is no chance of an immediate let-up in the weather that dampens Assam.
According to what the weathermen say the weather pattern was anticipated to bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds to many parts of Assam.
A low-pressure area was located over the Northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast and it is expected to move northwards and concentrate into a depression over the North Bay of Bengal.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has predicted unrelenting downpours in the city of Guwahati which might aggravate waterlogging situation resulting in slow traffic movement with increasing landslides.
The authorities have urged...
Add new comment