For no environment Clearance
Aizawl, Mar 28 : Indian oil exploration giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)'s oil drilling in Mizoram is in trouble with the Mizoram Pollution Control Board ordering the company to stop work for lack of an environmental clearance.
The ONGC, which started oil drilling operation at a place about two kms from Meidum village in Kolasib district in northern Mizoram on February, is yet to receive an environmental clearance, a source from MPCB said today. The MPCB's order came after the earth-spoil storage collapsed on March 24 and polluted the nearby river.
When the MPCB officials visited the site on March 24, the oil-base mud polluted the nearby Chhimluang river, a tributary of Tlawng river, and killed a large number of fishes.
MPCBC member secretary Lalduhawma said that the ONGC started the drilling works without any environmental clearance.
"They have applied for an environmental clearance. But they started work before we conduct a joint inspection of MPCB and ONGC to give the clearance," he said.
The storage was constructed without any approval from the MPCB and was sub-standard, he said.
The ONGC had been asked to stop the drilling operation until the construction of an earth-spoil storage that meets standard norms.
Till March 26, the ONGC drilled 1894 metres and will have to go for another 4300 metres, which ONGC officials said would take another 300 days.
ONGC chief engineer Pramode informed former Lok Sabha member Vanlalzawma, who visited the drilling site on Saturday, that they expected to find oil at the depth of 4100 metres below the sea level.
The drilling operation was a 24-hour operation, each day divided into two shifts, 12 hours each. If the operation goes on uninterrupted, the results would probably be seen within less than 12 months, he informed Vanlalzawma.
Oil exploration giants like ONGC, IOC and OIL and firms from Israel, the US, France and Russia have been selected through global tenders to explore the gas and oil deposits in an area of 12,430 Sq Km, which comprised 58.9 per cent of the total geographical area of the state.
According to the agreements, 12 per cent of oil produced and 10 per cent of gas produced will go to the state of Mizoram as royalty.
As recommended by the 11th Finance Commission, the net profit will also be shared 50:50 between the state and the Centre.
According to geologists, Mizoram believed to have been formed out of tectonic evolution of the Indian continent, is literally floating on a vast oil field.
Geologists said Mizoram falls under category number one or proven commercial productivity zone which roughly estimates there could be about 170 million metric tonnes of untapped crude reserves.
ONGC officials, who were present at the site when Vanlalzawma, Mizoram was given top priority among the ONGC projects across the country.
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