Baghjan oil well fire: new panel to assess damages

SC ousts NGT’s 10-member committee

The Supreme Court on Thursday formed an expert committee led by former Gauhati High Court judge, Justice B.P. Katakey, to assess the damage and the cost of reparation of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and surrounding ecologically fragile areas of Assam, which were damaged in the Baghjan oil well blowout in May 2020. Justice Katakey’s committee substitutes the National Green Tribunal’s 10-member committee led by the Assam Chief Secretary in which the Managing Director of Oil India Limited, the public sector company allegedly responsible for the fire and destruction, was a member. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the committee’s work would require extensive domain expertise and was of an “adjudicatory” nature. Moreover, the apex court took exception to having the OIL chief on board the very same committee which would decide the compensation.