Following the closure notice of all its production and drilling operations at the Baghjan oilfield in Assam’s Tinsukia district, Oil India Limited (OIL) will move the court challenging the order of Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA).
The PCBA had issued the ‘closure notice’ to the Public Sector Unit major on June 19, alleging that it violated environmental laws while operating at the oilfield.
However, the OIL claimed that it had the “consent of PCBA” for all its operations in the state as per a report by PTI.
“Oil India will move the Gauhati High Court on Monday for a stay of the closure notice, if we do not receive a favourable reply from the PCBA,” OIL Spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika was quoted as saying by PTI.
The company said to have replied to a show-cause notice issued by the PCBA on June 19 itself.
Hazarika alleged that the PCBA issued the closure notice on the same day without considering its reply.
“OIL had sent a detailed reply to the PCBA’s queries and subsequently, requested it to withdraw the closure notice. The company is expecting a favourable response,” he said.
The oil well at Bhaghjan developed a burst on May 27 and continued to leak condensate and oil putting the area in danger which later caught a devastating fire on June 9.
The PCBA notice had mentioned that the Baghjan oilfield was being operated without the “consent to establish and consent to operate” permission from the pollution board.
