Aaranyak’s concern on oil leakage and fire at Baghjan in Tinsukia District Guwahati, 10 June, 2020
Aaranyak, an organization working towards biodiversity conservation in Northeast India is deeply disturbed and concerned on the fire-bursting at the oil wells at Baghjan area adjacent to important wildlife areas, Maguri-Motapung wetlands and Dibrusaikhowa National Park since yesterday afternoon. The leakage of natural gas from the oil well has been reported almost 12 days ago, however it is now evident that Oil India Limited (OIL) could not address the leakage issue for over 12 days leading to unabated fire since last afternoon.
Dibru-Saikhowa is also a Biosphere Reserve and it is worth mentioning that Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large areas of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both. The unabated fire which spread horizontally, had already had a severe impact on human habitation, agricultural fields, wildlife and wetlands. We urge that both OIL and the government agencies need to act immediately to control the fire for well-being of the local people and restore environmental damage. We are also skeptical about OIL’s capability to stop such fires, as they have failed miserably to prevent oil spill and subsequent fire due the leakage in the last two weeks. We demand that OIL should take full responsibility of the restoration of the environmental damage caused and of the affected people whose life, property and everything is at stake. We also demand that OIL needs to pledge to check such kind of mishap and be well-equipped to deal with such an emergency in future. It is time for the government to be more cautious and have a full understanding of the capabilities of user agencies before granting permission for greater interest of safeguarding public life and properties from such mishap. In this context, we would also like to draw attention on the recent clearance that OIL received for drilling oil using ERD technology at seven locations in the area. With the present mishap, we would like to state that the decision needs to be revisited. Aaranyak hopes that user agency shall give due value to people's life and properties in surrounding area.
Guwahati, January 24: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday mounted a blistering attack on the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government, branding it a regime of “vote thieves, land thieves, cattle thieves and water thieves,” while addressing a massive public rally at Hatikholia Ground, Moranjana, near Rangia.
Addressing nearly 20,000 supporters, Gogoi raised what he termed the central political question before the people of Assam—“Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma?”—and said the Congress must now directly reach out to the masses. He called for the immediate formation of small outreach teams comprising youth and women to go door-to-door and explain the...
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday launched the nationwide “Save MGNREGA Movement” in the state, opposing the Modi-led NDA government’s move to amend the MGNREGA Act and introduce a new law under the name “VB-G RAM G”.
As part of the first phase of the agitation, press conferences were held simultaneously at district headquarters across Assam, including Kamrup Metropolitan, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideu, Hailakandi, Darrang and Baksa. District Congress Committee presidents and senior party leaders addressed the media.
In Guwahati, senior Pradesh Congress spokespersons Kushal Sharma, Rupak Das and Anita Devi addressed the press at the...
A strong call to unite the indigenous communities of Northeast India on a common platform was made at a roundtable discussion held on January 6 to mark the 21st death anniversary of noted nationalist leader Nibaran Bora. The discussion, titled “Crisis of Indigenous Peoples of Northeast India and Its Solutions”, resolved to carry forward Bora’s vision and ideology for safeguarding indigenous identity and rights.
The meeting was attended by representatives of several indigenous organisations from Assam and other Northeastern states. Uncompromising nationalist leader Hasibur Rahman, a close associate of the late leader, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the growing threat to the...
Amid escalating political unrest ahead of its national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026, Bangladesh has recorded the killing of journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi, who has become the first journalist worldwide to be murdered this year. The global media safety and rights organisation Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has strongly condemned the killing and demanded a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
According to local media reports, Bairagi (45), a resident of Arua village in the Jessore region of southern Bangladesh, was fatally shot in the head by three assailants on January 5, 2026. The editor of the Bengali daily Dainik BD Khabar was found dead at Kopalia...
In a major crackdown on terror networks, a special NIA court in Guwahati has convicted Md. Kamruj Zaman, a key accused in a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terror conspiracy case, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Zaman, also known as Dr Hurairah and Kamaruddin, was awarded life imprisonment under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with two additional sentences of five years’ simple imprisonment under other UAPA provisions. All sentences will run concurrently. The court also imposed fines in each case.
The case relates to a 2017–18 conspiracy to set up an HM terror module in Assam to carry out terrorist activities and spread fear. NIA investigations...
An eerie silence is prevailing in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts following the death of two people belonging to different communities amid growing demand to evict the non tribals from the hills districts on Tuesday.
Mobile internet has been suspended and the authority has imposed some restrictions on public gatherings to ensure peace and tranquility in the tribal dominated hills districts.
Security forces are patrolling on the streets in the vulnerable areas to avert any untoward incident.
But the tribal leaders and their followers have blamed it all on the government for allowing the non tribals to settle there which is contrary to the laid down rules.
" We are...
Tension gripped West Karbi Anglong district for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as clashes between protesters and security forces in Kheroni area left two people dead and over 45 injured, including 38 police personnel.
The deceased have been identified as a differently-abled youth from the Karbi community, who succumbed during police action to disperse agitators, and another individual who died in arson attacks on shops in Kheroni market. Reports indicate the violence involved stone-pelting, use of crude bombs, arrows, and bows by mobs, prompting police to resort to lathi-charge, tear gas, and blank firing.
The unrest stems from long-standing demands by Karbi organisations for the...
The hills of West Karbi Anglong district in Assam witnessed a dramatic eruption of violence this week, underscoring deep frustrations over land rights and perceived governmental inconsistency.
On December 22, 2025, protesters demanding the eviction of alleged encroachers from protected tribal grazing reserves torched the ancestral home of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang in Dongkamukam and set fire to several shops in Kheroni Bazaar. The next day, despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), clashes between opposing groups led to stone-pelting, injuring several people, including protesters,...
New Delhi: Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty has created history by becoming the first woman to be elected President of the Press Club of India (PCI), marking a significant milestone in the institution’s long-standing legacy. Her election is being widely hailed as a landmark moment for gender representation and leadership in Indian journalism.
A respected name in the profession, Pisharoty is known for her incisive reporting, editorial leadership and long-standing commitment to press freedom, ethical journalism and the welfare of media professionals. Over the years, she has earned wide credibility for her work on politics, governance and social issues.
The Press Club of...
A two-day ‘People’s Consultation on Strengthening Humanitarian Response and Climate Resilience in the Brahmaputra Basin’ concluded today at Hotel Clubway Grand, Jorhat, with the adoption of the People’s Declaration for a Resilient Brahmaputra Basin. The event was organised by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) in collaboration with the Inter Agency Group (IAG) of Assam and various local humanitarian civil society actors from across the Brahmaputra valley, with support from Start Network.
The consultation brought together humanitarian practitioners, climate workers, community leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups and women’s collectives to deliberate on...
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