Assam: NGT rejects plea for full compensation for Baghjan oil blowout victims

Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has dismissed a petition filed by residents of Baghjan village in Assam’s Tinsukia district, seeking additional interim compensation for damages caused by the 2020 oil blowout at Oil India Limited's (OIL) well.

The petition, filed by Manoj Hazarika on behalf of the villagers, made a plea before the NGT to direct OIL to disburse an additional Rs. 10 lakh per family to those categorized as severely or moderately affected by the blowout.

In May 2020, the oil well blowout occurred at OIL's Baghjan well, causing extensive damage to the surrounding environment and property.

Following the incident, the NGT constituted an expert committee to assess the damage and recommend compensation for affected families.

The committee recommended three categories of compensation:

Category I (highest): Rs. 25 lakh for families whose homes were completely destroyed.

Category II: Rs. 10 lakh for families with severely damaged homes.

Category III: Rs. 2.5 lakh for families with moderately damaged homes or partially damaged crops.

The NGT accepted these recommendations and directed OIL to disburse interim compensation based on the categorization.

The petition filed by Hazarika challenged the categorization and sought additional compensation for some families placed in Category II and III.

The petitioner argued that the severity of the impact on their health and livelihood justified a higher compensation amount.

The Eastern Bench of the NGT reviewed the case and concluded that the categorization and compensation amounts set by the expert committee and previously approved by the NGT were fair and reasonable.

The Tribunal noted that OIL had already disbursed the interim compensation as per the approved categories.