Assam natural gas leak: Villagers carry out protest demanding compensation, protection of national park

As a gas blowout from an Oil India Limited (OIL)-owned gas well near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam continued for the tenth day, hundreds from affected villages carried out demonstrations seeking compensation and protection of biodiversity of the area. On Friday, villagers carried out a day-long protest near the Maguri-Motapung wetland (recognised as an Important Bird Area by the Bombay Natural History Society) located close to the site of the gas leak in Tinsukia district’s Baghjan, with ‘World Environment Day 2020’-themed posters stating their demands.

“These are not protests held by a particular organisation but spontaneous reactions of the villagers from the surrounding villages,” said Niranta Gohain, an environmental activist based in Tinsukia, who was present at the protest.