NGT Reviews Oil India Drilling Clearance Inside Dibru Saikhowa National Park Boundary

Oil India Limited has filed its response before the National Green Tribunal challenging an appeal against the environment clearance granted for drilling and testing of hydrocarbons at seven locations near Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia, Assam. The clearance, originally granted on May 11, 2020, permitted the use of extended reach drilling technology from pads located more than 1.5 kilometres from the park's core boundary.

The environment clearance was granted pursuant to a Supreme Court order of September 7, 2017 and recommendations from the National Board for Wildlife, subject to OIL fulfilling undertakings made on July 25, 2017. OIL's extended reach drilling approach involves boring a well that extends horizontally beneath the ground to a target true vertical depth of 3,950 metres, reaching subsurface locations within the park boundary from surface pads situated outside it. OIL has argued before the NGT that the appeal challenging this clearance is not maintainable given the conditions under which it was issued.

The Dibru Saikhowa National Park is a protected area in upper Assam known for its biodiversity, particularly its population of feral horses and riverine forest ecosystems. Conservation groups have long raised concerns about the proximity of oil and gas operations to the park boundary and the risk of blowouts or spills — a concern heightened by the Baghjan oil well blowout that occurred in 2020 near the park, causing significant environmental damage and displacing communities. The NGT case represents ongoing scrutiny of whether extended reach drilling provides adequate protection for sensitive habitats.

The NGT proceeding will examine whether the conditions attached to the environment clearance are sufficient to protect the national park from operational risks, and whether OIL has complied with its undertakings. Environmental advocates tracking the case argue that any drilling near biodiversity-sensitive protected areas requires independent real-time environmental monitoring and community oversight mechanisms. A ruling on the admissibility of the appeal is expected to determine the scope of the tribunal's further examination of the substantive environmental concerns.

Key figure — 3,950 metres target true vertical depth for extended reach drilling