Oil Spill In Maguri-motapung Wetland In Assam, Northeast India: A Socio-ecological Disaster
Authors
-
Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar-788011, ,IN
Priyanka Sarkar
Keywords:
Oil blow-out, Ecosensitive area, Floodplain Livelihood impact.Abstract
Wetlands are highly susceptible to the deadly impacts of oil spill events due to its minimal water flow, which might take several years to restore. A recent incident of an uncontrolled blowout of an oil-producing well in Baghjan oilfield of the Oil India Limited and subsequent fire outbreak has severely threatened the socio-ecologically important Maguri-Motapung Beel, one of largest floodplain wetlands in Assam, Northeast India. The oil blowout coated the wetland water and its surrounding areas with emulsified oil layers, and together with fire outbreak, the incident has decimated many aquatic flora and fauna causing irreversible environmental damage. In addition, the blowout induced fire has also imposed a catastrophic impact on the riparian people of the wetland displacing them towards relief camps leaving their homes. Government authorities should emphasize implementing appropriate management actions to check the installation and/or operation of such oil-producing wells and other constrictive/industrial activities at least within the 10 km radius of any wetland areas that sustain the livelihoods of thousands of poor people.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
All the articles published in JES are distributed under a creative commons license. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright of their work (all usages allowed except for commercial purpose).
Please contact us at editorgjeis@gmail.com for permissions related to commercial use of the article(s).
References
Bania, R., & Biswas S. P. (2012) Fish based ecotourism in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. In: Proceeding of the National Seminar on Biodiversity of the North- East with special Reference to the Brahmaputra Valley, Kamalabari, India, 26 April 2012.
Bhatta, L. D., Chaudhary, S., Pandit, A., Baral, H., Das, P. J., & Stork, N. E. (2016) Ecosystem service changes and livelihood impacts in the maguri-motapung wetlands of Assam, India. Land, 5(2), 15. doi:10.3390/land5020015.
Borgohain, A., & Bania, R. (2013) Potentiality for promoting fish based ecotourism for sustainable development’. In: B. C. Borah & H. C. Bhattacharyya (Eds.), Strategy for Developing Fisheries in Flood Affected Areas of Assam (pp. 112- 127). Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India.
Boruah, S., Ganguli, P., Biswas, S. P., & Sharma, A. (2008) Land use land cover changes-its impact on the wetland ecosystem of Maguri Beel. In: Assam. Proceeding Conservation and Restoration of Lakes. Available at: http:// brahmaputrariversymposium.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Land%20 Use%20Land%20Cover%20changes.pdf. Last accessed 08/06/2020.
EPA (2016). Sensitivity of Freshwater Habitats. Available at: https://archive.epa. gov/emergencies/content/learning/web/html/freshwat.html#:~:text=Oil%20 spills%20occurring%20in%20freshwater,more%20destructive%20to%20the%20 environment.&text=They%20are%20often%20used%20for,sources%20for%20 various%20freshwater%20organisms. Last accessed June 06 2020.
Naqvi, S. (2020) Blowout at Oil India well threatens national park in upper Assam. Down To Earth, https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/blowout-atoil- india-well-threatens-national-park-in-upper-assam-71464#:~:text=At%20 least%202%2C000%20people%20have,day%20on%20May%2030%2C%202020. Last accessed June 08, 2020.
Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J., & Wege, D. C. (1998) Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. Cambridge, UK: Bird Life International.
