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50,000/- each to 612 families who have left the camp for rental, accommodation, food and other facilities, as stated in the report dated 10.12.2020 of the Committee appointed by this Tribunal (paras 4 and 5). A sum of Rs. 90.796 crore stands deposited by the OIL with the District Collector.

2. The Tribunal considered the matter first on 24.06.2020 and noted the version of the applicants that blowout resulted in damage to bamboo groves, tea gardens, banana trees and betel nut trees in the area and also spread into the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park which, according to the Applicant, records over 40 mammals, 500 species of birds, 104 fish species, 105 butterfly species and 680 types of plants including a wide variety of rare orchids. The area harbours tiger, elephant, wild buffalo, leopard, hoolock gibbon, capped langur, slow loris, Gangetic dolphin, besides critically endangered bird species such as the Bengal Florican, White Winged Duck, Greater Adjutant stork, White rumped vulture, slender billed vulture as well as the rare and endemic Black-breasted parrotbill. The oil also spilled into the Dibru river causing a film of oil in the river that passes through the Maguri-Motapung wetlands, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, and along the Dibru Saikhowa National Park. The Maguri-Motapung Wetland, located less than 10 km from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, is a part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve (DSBR) and hosts some of the most vulnerable species of birds such as Swamp Francolin, Marsh Babbler, Greater Adjutant and Pallas's Fish-eagle, Red-headed Vulture and White-bellied Heron, and over 80 species of fish. River Dibru is a tributary of River Lohit which then forms river Brahmaputra in the lower reaches. Brahmaputra river system is also a home to Gangetic dolphins. As a result of the blowout, there was also a fire on 09.06.2020. The applicant has also stated that the blowout has left behind huge volumes of residue as gas condensate which is a mixture of chemical compounds that are toxic for land and vegetation and is a known carcinogen. The blowout is not only hazardous to the health of the people but also severely affect their livelihood whose occupation is mainly agriculture, fishing and animal rearing. 1610 families were displaced as a result of the gas leak.

III. On the day of the blowout of Well Baghjan-5 i.e. 27.05.2020 and subsequent explosion on 09.06.2020, OIL did not have the mandatory Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate both under Section 25 & 26 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, under Section 21 of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act and the Rules framed thereunder and/or the authorization Rule 6 of the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

VI. OIL, till date, does not have the required Consent to Establish and/or Consent to Operate to either carry our drilling and testing of hydrocarbons in Well Baghjan-5 under the DSNP Area, except for the years 2008-09, 2012-13, 2018-19, under Section 25 & 26 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, under Section 21 of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act and the Rules framed thereunder and/or the authorization required Rule 6 of the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 which is in clear violation of the conditions stipulated in the Environmental Clearance dated 11.05.2020.

11. Extracts from the report dated 31.10.2020 are as follows:-

"D. FINDINGS I. INFRACTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
(i) CONSENT TO ESTABLISH AND CONSENT TO OPERATE
(a) Statutory obligations mandate that all onshore oil drilling projects adhere to strict compliance of obtaining consent under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (hereinafter referred to as the Water Act), the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (hereinafter referred to as the Air Act), and Authorization under the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

12. The recommendations and conclusion based on the above findings are :-

"RECOMMENDATIONS :
i) The Committee reiterates the conclusions drawn in the Preliminary Report and recommends that direction may be issued to the PCB, Assam to take appropriate legal action against OIL and its officials for violation of the mandatory requirements of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Authorization under the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.