Supreme Court Stays Green Court Order On Fire Incident At Assam Oil Well

Expressing surprise at the NGT order, the top court said Oil India Ltd (OIL) was accused of polluting the wetlands, but its MD was made a member of the inquiry Committee.

The Supreme Court Thursday stayed a National Green Tribunal order constituting a fresh six-member committee to fix responsibility for the failures of the concerned individuals in the fire incident in Assam's Baghjan oil well. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Petroleum, Oil India, and others while seeking their response on the appeal. Expressing surprise at the NGT order, the top court said Oil India Ltd (OIL) was accused of polluting the wetlands, but its MD was made a member of the inquiry Committee. "We are wholly disappointed by the manner in which the NGT has pushed this issue out of its hand. It's the National Green Tribunal. It Should not have done this," the bench said.