Assam's Baghjan blowout caused loss of Rs 25,000 cr, destroyed 55% biodiversity: Report

The gas blowout at Oil India Limited's Baghjan oilfield in Assam's Tinsukia district last year has caused an estimated loss of over Rs 25,000 crore. It has destroyed around 55 per cent of the biodiversity in the area, an inquiry report prepared by a senior forest official said on Wednesday. State Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden MK Yadava has prepared a report titled 'Ecology and Economy: Lessons Learnt from Baghjan Blowout'.

Loss of 25,000 Crore & 55% biodiversity destroyed

The report stated that 25,825 animals belonging to 41 genera or families and 91 scheduled animals in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, including a Gangetic River Dolphin and two Hoolock Gibbons were killed in the disaster. 

"Baghjan is a case of an ecological disaster and there are chances that, in an attempt to arrive at monetary valuations for all the losses, the route of 'shadow pricing' was adopted. In it, the cost of one item and the cost of other items for which price is not known can be subsumed and it was decided to list a very limited number of "countable" damages which can be directly and rationally arrived at," the report said.

On the basis of the report, the countable losses have been assessed with the estimated damages to the tune of Rs 25,050.61 crore and this can be realised over a period of 10 years.

Impact of Baghjan Fire

Well no. 5 at Baghjan began to spew gas on May 27 last year, before exploding on June 9 and was finally killed on November 15. The incident resulted in the deaths of three persons. The condensate oil spread to a large area of 13.85 sq km, of which 7.97 sq km got burnt almost fully, 1.02 sq km got burnt partially and the secondary affected areas spread to 13.75 sq km, it said.

The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park got impacted to the extent of 12.07 sq km. In all, a total wetland area of 16.32 sq km, grassland area of 5.23 sq km, rivers/streams 19.76 sq km and forest areas of 2.13 sq km got affected due to the disaster.

The report also stated that the Baghjan blowout caused widespread burning, fire, sound, air and water pollution, vibrations and ground motion causing tremors in houses, drenching thousands of people, livestock and wildlife in black coloured ''oil rain'' and causing stillbirth of uncounted numbers of livestock. All these happenings resulted in the devastation of the Maguri Motapung Beel ecosystem and damaged the Dibru- Saikhowa National Park ecosystem, burning of grasslands, unbearable radiation of heat and strong blazing light. Tea gardens, orchards, and fruit and vegetable gardens were also damaged.

Due to the oil, grease and heavy metals, the soil has been contaminated which needs to be treated, while tea bushes need uprooting and output crop must be well-tested for harmful chemicals, the report said.

After the COVID-19 outbreak and a series of floods, the situation further compounded as miserable.

In June last year, former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had directed Yadava to conduct a study on the effects of the blowout on the environment and ecology of the surrounding areas. He was directed to assess its impact on the flora and fauna along with different species living in the water bodies of the area.

(With PTI Inputs)

(Image Credits: PTI)