Day 14 of ONGC Gas Leak: Capping Efforts Underway; Residents Still in Fear

Fourteen days since the ONGC gas leak in Assam’s Sivasagar district began, residents of Bhatiapar continue to live in constant fear and uncertainty. Though the weather has improved on Wednesday morning, tensions are high as the experts work against time to bring the situation under control.

In a critical development, a heavy-duty crane with a 200-tonne lifting capacity was brought to the site. The team of American experts has since been trying to extract the pipes used in the gas rig. Sources indicate that, if this operation is completed by this afternoon, the next steps will involve lowering the rig structure and initiating the much-awaited capping process to seal the continuous gas leak that has plagued the area.

Meanwhile, public outrage is growing. Krishna Agarwal, the owner of SK Petro Services, has not visited the site or met with affected families since the incident occurred. Locals have expressed strong resentment over his absence, calling it a blatant disregard for the suffering of the community.

Adding to the concerns, ONGC has reportedly failed to present the necessary pollution clearance certificate for the site. This has sparked demands from residents and environmental activists to launch an inquiry into the functioning of the Sivasagar Pollution Control Board. They allege that regulatory oversight has been severely lacking, allowing such a crisis to unfold unchecked.

As operations continue on the ground, the residents of Bhatiapar wait anxiously, hoping for an end to the gas leak that has disrupted their lives for two weeks, while also demanding accountability from both public and private stakeholders involved.

Initially, the gas leak posed a direct threat to around 75 families living near the well. However, in the days that followed, the number of affected individuals surged to over 3,000, as toxic emissions and emergency evacuations extended beyond the initial impact zone. The growing humanitarian crisis has left residents clinging to hope for compensation and government support.

In an advisory issued recently, ONGC stated that it is now safe for residents living beyond a 500-metre radius of the site to return to their homes and resume normal activities, including cooking and the use of electricity. This comes after scientific assessments indicated no trace of hydrocarbons beyond a 30-metre radius of the well — a “positive development,” according to the corporation.

The gas pressure inside the well has also reportedly reduced, making conditions safer for final capping operations. As a critical safety measure, ONGC continues to conduct 'water blanketing' operations around the clock to suppress the risk of fire and maintain containment.

ALSO READ: ONGC Declares Areas Beyond 500m Safe as Gas Leak Risk Recedes