The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has revoked its June 19 closure notice to Oil India Limited (OIL) with certain conditions after the latter gave an undertaking to respond to queries concerning its operations.
The withdrawal letter issued late on Monday night by PCBA Member-Secretary D.N. Das followed discussions between OIL’s Chairman and Managing Director Sushil Chandra Mishra and PCBA Chairman Y. Suryanarayana.
Soon after receiving the closure notice, OIL had asked PCBA to withdraw the order that was “technically not feasible” to comply with. The exploration major had also threatened to go to court to stay the order.
The five conditions that the PCBA seat included “submission of a detailed time-bound environmental management plan” within 15 days of receiving the withdrawal letter for “environmental mitigation and extinguishing of the fire” at the Baghjan oilfield.
The other conditions set by PCBA pertain to the disposal of hazardous waste by adhering to the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The PCBA had in its closure notice said OIL had not taken environmental clearances to operate in the Baghjan area. This was among 10 conditions it said OIL had violated while operating in the area for more than eight years.
OIL has been producing a sizeable quantity of crude oil and almost 29% of its natural gas in eastern Assam from the Baghjan Oilfield.
Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court has postponed to July 13 the hearing of a PIL against the Centre’s approval to OIL for drilling at seven locations under the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The drilling, OIL said, is through the sophisticated extended reach drilling technology that will allow them to explore horizontally from spots beyond the park.
