OIL gets nod for Brahmaputra exploration from APCB

Guwahati, Nov 12 (UNI) The Asom Pollution Control Board (APCB) has finally given nod to Oil India Limited's (OIL) exploration activities in the river basin of the Brahmaputra.

Initially, several environmentalists and intellectuals of the state had opposed the exploration activity of OIL on the river bed of Brahmaputra.

The state pollution board gave the green signal only after being convinced that the exploration would not affect the environment.

Though the environmentalists have pointed out the complicacies arising out of the seismic survey, the APCB had rejected them after hearing the scientific explanation from the OIL.

A Kazakhstan geophysical firm had started a massive 2-D seismic survey on the Brahmaputra to explore crude oil reserves, said the OIL officials.

'' The firm will start their survey in December in an area of about 1,809 km. It will take about two years and the estimated cost of the survey is Rs ten billion ,'' OIL chairman Mulkh Raj Pasrija said.

He further said the exploration work is very essential as the present oil fields are on the verge of exhaustion and would dry up in the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, the conservationists had condemned the entire move of the OIL and APCB, which is holing a public hearing today.

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