Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to resolve the compensation issue of the victims of the Baghjan tragedy within two months. The apex court has also entrusted NGT to hear the matters related to the restoration of the ecology.
In October 2021, the victim families moved the apex court seeking compensation for the devastation caused by the Baghjan blowout. It was India’s longest-running oil fire from a rig operated by Oil India Limited – a government-owned Oil Company.
The petitioners alleged that they were not given proper compensation, and rehabilitation and the ecology of the area were also not restored.
The Supreme Court ordered NGT to expedite the process of compensation as per the recommendations of the expert committee it constituted earlier to resolve the compensation issues.
Though a few of the victim villagers had received interim compensation, the process remained incomplete for more than two years. The villagers lost their homes and paddy during the manmade disaster.
