Oil wells that brought two Nagaland villages health hazards

Two Nagaland villages are faced with catastrophic environmental consequences in the wake of a two decade-old oil spillage from oil fields left abandoned by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). Villagers now claim the oil seepage has reached alarming proportions, polluting water and damaging land fertility besides causing serious health hazards.

The oil spill is both over-ground and underground. It has turned vast swathes of land into oily mud. Sometimes, smoke is seen billowing out of some of the abandoned wells. The entire environment is contaminated.

The first thing that bore the brunt of the oil spills is the local economy. Nagas living in rural areas rely on traditional jhum cultivation which involves burning of vegetation on hill slopes. But with the oil spills around, the people living in Changpang-Tissori belt are afraid of burning vegetation for fears of wildfire.

“We are devastated. We don’t know how long we can make both ends meet,” says a farmer of Changpang. With no respite from the oil seepage, some people are looking for alternative means to earn a livelihood.    

But the area being remote, there is little they can do to earn a living.

It all began in 1994 after the ONGC was asked to suspend its operations in Changpang and Tissori villages of Wokha district by the Nagaland government.











Through fields of fire
From p1

The oil major operated there for 21 years mining hydrocarbon products since striking a deal with the state government in 1973.
The initial years were hunky-dory. Soon though, some local pressure groups as well as insurgents began questioning the agreement. They said the stakeholders were not consulted before drilling as mandated by customary Naga land rights. Eventually, the state government bowed to widespread public protests and asked the ONGC to pack off. But by then, the government had earned a royalty of Rs.33.3 crore, only a fraction of which - Rs 67 lakh — was paid to the landowners.
The ONGC abandoned 29 drilled wells and two gas points spreading over an area of 12 sq km. The oil seepage was noticed only a few months after the ONGC’s withdrawal. Initially, there was hardly any fuss among villagers over the matter. But when the oil spill started reaching alarming proportions, the villagers, precisely the Changpang Landowners’ Union, petitioned the state government, not once but on several occasions, seeking urgent measures for cleaning up the mess and preventing its adverse effect on the environment and ecology. Finally in August last year, the state’s geology and mining department reported “heavy spillage” after inspecting the sites.
MY Ngullie, president of Changpang Landowners’ Union, says the indigenous plants have been swamped by at least seven species of thorny plants (lantana, mimosa etc). “According to ecologists, this is just the beginning of desertification,” he says. He adds the people often complain of renal problems (kidney stones etc) unheard of earlier.
Back and forth
The ONGC estimates suggest the Changpang-Tissori belt has a geological reserve of 110 million barrels of oil with a recoverable reserve of approximately 1,600 barrels per day. Green Foundation, a Nagaland based NGO, blames the ONGC for the mess.
“The ONGC hurriedly abandoned the wells without following the international legislation guiding proper abandonments, decommissioning, remediation, reclamation and consolidation protocols thereby committing a crime against innocent Naga people and the environment,” says N Janbemo Humtsoe, Director of the Foundation.
The ONGC has rubbished the charges claiming it adopted all precautionary safety measures while suspending operations. “All the oil wells were subdued and sealed before withdrawal. However, prolonged period of non-maintenance and probable tampering with the high-tech production equipment by miscreants might have resulted in the reported leakages at the well sites,” says an official of ONGC.
Last year, on being persuaded by the state government and assured of security, the ONGC agreed to clean up the oil spill areas and take other necessary remedial measures. Subsequently, both sides constituted separate teams for a joint survey of the affected area. However, the survey has not taken place as yet.
“I feel the ONGC is dragging their feet. I am not entirely sure though,” says Nagaland additional chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir. The ONGC says it does not mind conducting a survey.
“We are ready for it. However, we haven’t got the go-ahead as yet from Nagaland government,” says an ONGC official. He adds: “The Nagaland government told us the survey is not feasible now. We don’t know the reason”. He attributed the oil spills to lack of maintenance of infrastructure. “Infrastructure needs to be maintained. We don’t have any problem in Assam and Gujarat,” he adds.
Court issues notice to ONGC, others
The Gauhati High Court on September 12 issued notices to ONGC, Union petroleum and environment ministries, Nagaland government and others after hearing a PIL, filed by a Kohima-based NGO, seeking Rs 1,000-cr compensation for the plight of those affected.
Dice Foundation, the NGO, took up the fight on behalf of the villagers.
“We have sought a compensation of Rs 1,000-cr for the villagers whose economy has been ravaged by the oil spills. Now that the matter has reached court, we hope they will get justice in the long run,” says Mmhonlumo Kikon of the Foundation.
Kikon claims earlier they did a study and found 102 villagers being affected by the oil spill. “Earlier, few locals in the two villages had any eyesight problem. But now, the disease is very common among children aged below 13 years. Changpang along has reported around 30 cases of renal problem unheard of earlier,” he adds.
That the court gave utmost importance to the case was evident from the fact that it was heard by the Chief Justice himself. The court of Chief Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice K Meruno asked Gunedhor Moirangthem, the petitioners’ counsel, to issue notices to ONGC and others involved in the case. Moirangthem said a reply has been sought from the respondents by November 14.
“It is really sad that no action was taken to stop the oil spillage all these years,” he adds.
The human cost
Last year, C. Lotha, a farmer and father of four, cultivated a banana plantation on a piece of land measuring 5 hectares. He invested close to Rs 2.5 lakh after borrowing the money from a friend. To his utter dismay, he now finds the leaves withering. “The leaves are fast getting dried up and withering. I am at a loss for I fear I won’t get even half of what I had invested,” he laments.
Opvuo Odyuo, former chairman of Changpang village, says these days the harvest is poor and it is always full of pests.
Mhabemo Lotha, a medical practitioner based in Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur, says the oil spill is a threat to human existence. “I don’t know if the water in the area is contaminated. Research can only reveal the health hazards, if any, caused to villagers,” he says. “However, not just the aquatic animals, contaminated water can threaten the existence of human beings as well,” he sums up.
 Myingthungo N Kithan, the village chieftain, says they will be happy if Changpang is struck out of the map of Nagaland. “Everything has a limit. Our patience is running out and we can’t wait for an indefinite period.” He adds: “Fire engulfed the oil spill areas twice. With the kind of oil seepage around, we cannot sleep. We count every night as the last night of our life”.