An approval by the Union environment ministry for exploratory oil and gas drilling in parts of Assam may put the endangered hoolock gibbon at further risk. Cairn India, the oil and gas unit of the Anil Agarwal-promoted Vedanta Ltd wants to use 4.4998ha of reserved forest land for oil and gas exploration drilling in the notified eco-sensitive zone of the Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, official documents show. While the forest advisory committee (FAC) of the ministry has deferred its decision, according to minutes of its meeting dated July 4, the project has the blessings of both the state government and the regional office of the environment ministry.
Oil and gas drilling plan may risk wildlife in Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. (HT Photo)
And while the area may seem small, experts cite that the gibbon is a canopy dweller, and that any break, however small, in the existing canopy in its habitat could be a risk.
The FAC observed that comments from the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) or the chief wildlife warden from a conservation point of view along with a wildlife conservation plan may be obtained by the state government on Cairn India’s proposal.
The presence of hoolock gibbons, elephants and leopards has been reported in the area proposed for diversion. The divisional forest officer, Jorhat, has mentioned in Part-II of the form that “elephants, hoolock gibbons, leopards, etc are present in the area but added that the project is in a relatively small area and no major construction is anticipated. “Hence the impact will be minimal and, if necessary, a wildlife management and mitigation plan shall be prepared and all precautions shall be taken to cause minimal disturbance to wildlife and to mitigate man-animal conflict,”he added.
The regional office of the Union environment ministry has approved the project with certain conditions –– strict compliance of the SOP (standard operating procedure)/recommendations of the nineteenth report of the standing committee on petroleum and natural gas (safety and security of oil installations of public sector oil companies with specific reference to the Baghjan blow-out incident) . It also asked for special measures to prevent landslide/erosion.
It also recommended that the consent of the National Board of Wildlife must be obtained prior to the final approval as the proposed area is located in the ecosensitive zone of the sanctuary.
The gas blow-out in Oil India Limited’s Baghjan oilfield in Assam in May 2020 lasted several months and led to extensive damage to local ecology. The Baghjan well is located near the Dibru Saikhowa National Park, the Maguri-Motapung wetlands, and the forest villages of Barekuri, which are home to endangered hoolock gibbons and Gangetic dolphins.
The corporate communications team of Cairn India did not respond to HT’s queries on how the impact on hoolock gibbons will be mitigated.
“The hoolock gibbon is a canopy dweller. Their movement is restricted if their habitat is fragmented. Canopy-based animals just cannot move if any project, be it oil and gas exploration or mining, logging, encroachments, other development projects, agriculture fragments even a small part of the habitat,” said Dilip Chetry, a senior primatologist who has specialised in the species.
“Hoolock gibbons are very friendly. They are not aggressive and hence there is no conflict with human beings. Gibbons are an indicator for other species. Wherever there are gibbons, there are other primates, schedule 1 species, all other species. So hoolock gibbons are a flagship species. They form close-knit families and are monogamous,” Chetry added.
The hoolock gibbon is “endangered” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its total population in northeastern India is now estimated to be over 12,000, with around 2,000 in Assam alone. It is found in eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura), and northwestern Myanmar. It might possibly occur in China (extreme southeastern Tibet). The distribution in India is restricted to the south of the Brahmaputra and the east of the Dibang river.
Meanwhile, in relief to wildlife in the Dibru Saikhowa National Park, FAC has rejected extended reach drilling in the park. Oil India Ltd had applied for a forest clearance for non-forestry use of 0.069ha of forest land for extended reach drilling under the Dibru Saikhowa National Park from Baghjan Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) in the Tinsukia wildlife division.
“It has been mentioned in the proposal that the proposed project falls within Dibru Saikhowa National Park. Species like leopard, elephant, fox, wild buffalo, dolphin, wild pig, hoolock gibbon, slow loris, capped langur, pangolin are present in the area proposed for diversion,” according to FAC’s minutes dated July 4.
According to Oil India, the proposed land for the seven extended reach drilling locations is beneath the target depth of 3,900-4,000 metres.
“Therefore, the impact upon the land may not be visible. If high density blasting is done on the location then the impact may be visible over the surface,” it said.
After detailed discussions and deliberations with the director general of forests (central), regional office, Shillong, and state government officials, the committee decided to recommend the rejection of the proposal for non-forestry use of 0.069ha of Dibru Saikhowa National Park area for extended reach drilling in the Tinsukia wildlife division in accordance with a Supreme Court order dated 04.08.2006 and reiterated vide an order on 26.04.2023. The order directed that mining within the national park and wildlife sanctuary shall not be permissible.
Cairn India has also applied for forest clearance for oil and gas exploration on 1.7155ha of forest land in the Namphai reserved forest under Digboi division. The forest department has mentioned that the proposed project lies within the Dihing Patkai Elephant Reserve and is near the Kotha Elephant Corridor.
FAC recommended the proposal for grant of “in principle” approval with specific conditions, one of them being that the Assam government shall prepare a wildlife conservation plan with specific focus on human-elephant conflict for the entire landscape, particularly the Dihing Patkai reserve and the Kotha corridor.
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