An active and notorious oil theft racket operating in Upper Assam has once again come under the scanner after a fire broke out at an abandoned ONGC oil well in the Nazira area, with authorities suspecting a crude oil theft angle behind the incident.
According to sources, miscreants have been targeting abandoned oil wells left behind by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), particularly in remote tea garden areas, to illegally siphon crude oil. Taking advantage of the absence of security personnel at several such oil fields, these groups have reportedly intensified their activities in recent months.
On Thursday afternoon, miscreants allegedly set fire to an old ONGC oil well located at Bamunpukhuri Tea Estate under the Nazira Co-District. The lack of adequate security at the site is believed to have facilitated the incident, raising serious concerns over the safety of abandoned oil infrastructure in the region.
The area narrowly averted a major disaster reminiscent of the Baghjan blowout, as densely populated residential zones, including large housing colonies of tea garden workers, are situated close to the affected site.
Following the incident, teams from the Nazira Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and, after sustained efforts, successfully brought the fire under control in Sectors 15 and 16. No casualties or injuries were reported.
While it remains unclear whether the fire was deliberately caused as part of an oil theft attempt or due to some other motive, officials said the exact cause would be ascertained only after a detailed police investigation.
Local residents have alleged that illegal crude oil siphoning from abandoned and concealed ONGC oil wells—especially those located within tea garden areas—has been going on for quite some time, posing a serious threat to public safety and the environment.
CPI leaders and activists in Nazira joined the statewide protest on Wednesday outlining the issues of price hike, inflation, Flood and erosion. Speakers in the protest meeting demanding immediate measures to mitigate the misery of the common people. In his speech, national executive member Kanak Gogoi said that the central government has been acting as an agent of the capitalists where the common people are bound to suffer. He said the decision of the central government for 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will be a threat to the Sovereignty and urged the people to resist the move.
ULFA(I) virtually scorned the security forces on Monday when the rebels in search of the sovereign Asom exploded a bomb in Charaideo when the district joined the Independence Day on Monday. The explosion took place at Pathaligarh at 8 in the morning which made a huge crater on the spot under the impact of the explosion. There was no casualty or injury.
The Nazira press club observed its silver jubilee programme on Friday. On this occasion an interaction programme was organised in the press club building, where DC of Sivasagar Narayan Kunwar, SP Anand Prakash Tewari, Nazira SDO Syed Zahid Chisty were present and they appealled to all media persons to focus and prevent all evils of the society .
Forest officials in Sivasagar district captured a leopard which has been creating a reign of terror at a tea garden area in Geleky. Acting on the complaints of the local residents in the Modi Tea Estate area, the forest officials with the help of a group of people laid a trap where the animal landed on Friday night. Then it was sent to a safe place to be rehabilitated much to a major respite for hundreds of people in the entire area who has already lost their domestic animals like cows, goats and pigs.
Freedom fighter, president of Nazira District Freedom Fighters Association and veteran Congress leader Subha Gogoi breathed his last at his residence at Mazenga on Thursday. He was 95 and survived by his wife and three sons. MLA of Nazira Debobrate Saikia, ex. Minister Hemoprobha Saikia, ex. MP Durpad Borgohain and several organisations condoled in his death.
Established in 1992, the Nazira press club, which is the common plateform of all media persons of Nazira Sub-Division will celiberate its Silver Jubilee with a day long programme on July 29. In this connection the press club will an interactive session "Antaranga Ebela". DC of Sivasagar Narayan Kunwar, SP Anand Prakash Tewari, SDO (C) Zahid Chisty will participate in the programme.
The protest over the oilfield auctioning move gathers momentum when AASU activists in large number staged mass demonstration in Nazira on Wednesday asking the government not to proceed. Led by AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharyee along with president Dipankar Nath and General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, hundreds of AASU activists Gana Satyagraha in front of the ONGC’s Assam Asset in Nazira with a voew to oppose the move tooth and nail. With banners and play cards, the protesters shouted slogans against the Modo Government who allegedly starts going back to the poll promises. The AASU leaders further said that they are well prepared to take Delhi and Dispur if the government does not drop...
The protest over the move to auction oilfields and VAT hike have refused to die down. Many activists of the Ahom Jatiya Gana Manch in Sivasagar staged a two hours dharna in protest against the tow decisions alleging that the new government keeps taking anti people policies. With banners and playcards more than 300 AJGM activists thronged the heart of the historic town and staged dharna for two hours asking the governments both in Delhi and Dispur to roll back the decision. “We won’t allow the centre to auction the oilfields to the private parties. In the same breath, why the government in Dispur has resorted to the hike in VAT at the cost of the common people. We are ready to face any...
Nazira AASU unit staged its dharna on Friday against the spiralling price rise following the hike in VAT against 127 goods. Hundreds of student activists thronged Nazira town in the morning where they staged dharna for four hours raising slogans against the government.Talking to Assam Times, the protesters said that the new government would have to face the consequences if its keeps the anti-people policies. “The VAT hike was unwanted. It is anti people. Common people have been bearing the brunt. We wont allow it to happen,” said the AASU leader.Another protester said,” if is difficult to understand how the government is sparing the common people? Will the companies bear the brunt? First...
Several parties and organizations staged protests in Sivasagar district on Monday raising a number of issues confronting Assam and its people. Hundreds of activists of the Peoples Council of Peace and Development staged a 4 hour long dharna in front of the DC office demanding an immediate rollback of the move to auction 12 oilfields. Other demands include measures to stop rhino poaching in Kaziranga. Later, they sent a memorandum to the Centre through the Deputy Commissioner outlining their demands. Meanwhile, CPI unit in district also submitted a memorandum before the DC to stall the process to auction the oilfields.
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