Md. Mosabbir AIi from Moulvibazar :
Twenty seven years of Magurchhara explosion of Kamalganj Upazila have passed on Friday (June 14). Still Bangladesh has not received any compensation from Occidental, a US company responsible for the disaster. Although the Bangladesh government seems almost inactive in this regard, country’s rights activists are active to gain the reimbursement.
On June 14, 1997, in the midnight of 14th June, a terrible explosion occurred during the excavation of gas exploration well No. 1 located in front of Phulbari tea garden in Magurchhara area of Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar. After the sudden explosion, the flames rose to a height of 600 feet. The scene of that terrible fire still floats in the minds of the people of Moulvibazar district.
Occidental Ltd signed an agreement with the Bangladesh government for the search. After the start of gas exploration, the people of Kamalganj felt joy. The people of the area are excited thinking that the area will be rich in oil and gas. The company started working with the goal of drilling 3 thousand 700 meter wells. The accident occurred shortly after digging 840 meters. Tea gardens, protected forest areas, power lines, Sylhet-Akhaura railway, Srimangal-Kamalganj Shamsernagar-Brahmanbazar-Kulaura on fire Roadways, gas pipelines, gas-well, reserve gas, environment and water are severely affected. Thousands of wild animals and birds die. After burning for 15 consecutive days, a team of four members, including Richard Child Re, an expert from the International Oil Company of Houston, United States, managed to bring the fire under control. However, it takes about six months to bring the fire under control. Kamalganj, Srimangal and soon have not forgotten the memory of the terrible accident that took place in Magurchhara People of Moulvibazar district. The residents did not get any compensation for that huge loss. According to oil and gas experts, 245.86 BCF of recoverable underground gas is flared at Magurchhara gas field, which is worth around Tk 14,000 crore. Other losses are another Tk. 11 thousand crore. This can be confirmed from several related studies after the accident. 87.50 acres area of Magurchhara and surrounding areas were heavily damaged in the fire. After the accident, various studies showed, 46 crore 6 lakh 84 thousand 830 Tk were lost to 29 tea gardens due to Magurchhara gas well explosion.
Apart from that, 25 thousand 650 mature trees of 69.5 hectares of protected forest area were burnt due to the loss of about 33 crore 61 lakh Tk. The government’s investigation estimated the loss at Tk 507 crores and 12 lakhs. Apart from this, 40 hectares of land and 15 thousand 450 trees have been potentially damaged in the forest area. To recover from the loss, the amount of loss in 10 years is Tk 484 crore 58 lakh. That is The total loss of forest area has been estimated at 9 thousand 858 crore 31 lakh taka. The blast destroyed 2,000 feet of railway track. It caused a loss of Tk 81 lakh 54 thousand 395 excluding revenue.
Damage to roads is Tk 21 crore. Damage to gas pipeline is Tk 13 lakh. Loss of electricity line is 1 crore 35 lakh 9 thousand 186 taka. The total loss is 12 lakh taka at the rate of 47 thousand 750 taka per day to the residents of Magurchhara Khasia Panpunji. Kamalganj upazila An area of 1,250 hectares of West Banugach Reserve Forest was declared Lauachhara National Park in 1996 under the Wildlife Act, 1974. In the terrible fire of Magurchhara gas well, the biodiversity of this forest including the endangered wildlife was destroyed.
Although there is a rule to use explosives such as ‘Dynamite’ in gas well drilling, in Occidental Magurchara gas well drilling, deadly and environmentally destructive radioactive ‘Radio’ is used as explosive.
The National Oil and Gas Protection Committee alleged that ‘Active Source’ was used. The committee is of the opinion that the accident occurred due to the clumsiness, inexperience, negligence, indifference and incompetence of Occidental’s excavation. After the Magurchhara fire, the movement to demand compensation is still going on. Every year on June 14, the common people of this area have been observing various programs including human chain. After the June 14, 1997 explosion, it burned for more than six months
Sealing of the source mouth of the coupe was completed on January 9, 1998. Before that, on December 20, 1997, Occidental departed from Magurchhara. In this situation, there was a strong reaction among the people in the area. On January 10, 1998, thousands of people protested and built barricades by throwing big trees on the road. The common people held meetings, protest marches and marches in the entire Sylhet division including Srimangal-Kamalganj-Moulvibazar and in different parts of the country. Magurchhara Khasia Punji Minister Jidison
Chief Suchiang said that no one understood the extent of damage to the natural forest through this incident. We who live in this forest understand. In this regard, Syed Amiruzzaman, the leader of Magurchhara Oil-Gas-Mineral Resources Protection National Committee, said that the investigation committee which was formed after the fire in Magurchhara gas well on June 14, 1997, submitted the investigation report to the ministry within a month. Occidental insured them by submitting that report to the insurance company
Recovers compensation for parts, rigs etc. But neither the government nor the locals have received any compensation from the company. Syed Amiruzzaman thinks it is possible to collect compensation from Occidental if the government resorts to international court.
Lawachra Forest Range Officer Md. Shahidul Islam said that although the damage to the forest has been assessed, nothing has been found so far. The loss of natural forests is not irreversible. According to my knowledge Magurchhara gas well explosion
No compensation received. We also demand that this compensation for forest and environment be realized.
Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Dr. Urmi Binte Salam said, I have no claim for compensation regarding the fire in Magurchhara. No one approached me about compensation. We all need to be aware of past experiences with environmental disasters.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the Magurchhara tragedy, on Friday, June 14, Biodiversity Protection Committee, Kamalganj Development Council, Pahar Raksha Unyanya Society and various environmental organizations have released the list of damages caused by the Magurchhara gas explosion in Kamalganj, compensation to the victims and a human chain to demand gas connection from house to house in Kamalganj. The schedule will be followed.