Nazira residents alarmed by blasts, black smoke near ONGC site

Residents of Gorakhia Nagar, near the historic Dhodar Ali road in Nazira in Assam's Sivasagar district, say they have been living in fear after a series of loud explosions sent thick black smoke over the area on Saturday and Sunday.

Residents allege that the blasts were carried out in the open by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to dispose of explosives that are no longer fit for use, Pratidin Time reported. India Today NE also reported panic in the Namti area after what it described as an explosion reportedly carried out by ONGC, with clouds of smoke spreading across the locality.

ONGC and the Sivasagar district administration had not commented publicly on the reports at the time of writing.

'Nobody tells us what is happening'

Residents told Pratidin Time that the explosions started on Saturday and came at intervals, each followed by black smoke. They said blasts were heard again on Sunday morning, after briefly stopping when locals raised the matter the day before.

One resident said people who went to the site to ask questions were told to leave, and that the community had been given no information. Another said locals had been told the people carrying out the blasts had permission to do so, but not what exactly was being done.

Residents pointed to red flags placed around the site as a warning, but said children and livestock cannot be expected to understand such signs. They said the smoke is polluting the air and that nearby farmland is also being affected. No injuries or damage to property have been reported.

Why it matters

Nazira is home to ONGC's Assam Asset, one of the company's oldest onshore oil-producing areas, and oil exploration and production work in the area uses explosives. Seismic crews use charges to map underground rock, and unused or expired explosives have to be destroyed under rules set by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

Such disposal is usually done at isolated sites with safety distances. The residents' main complaint is that it was done close to a populated settlement without any warning.

The questions now are where the site is, who authorised the disposal, whether safety distances were followed, and whether pollution control authorities were informed. NEInsider will update this story if ONGC or the district administration responds.