26th anniv of Magurchhara gas field disaster today

Today is the 26th anniversary of Magurchhara ecological disaster.

On the night of this day in 1997, a massive blowout torn apart the Magurchhaqra gas field in Moulvibazar's Kamalganj upazila, inflicted severe damage to the to the Lawachhara reserve forest and destroying a swathe of properties and habitats around the area.

US oil company Occidental, which was conducting the drilling work of the well at that time, was widely blamed for the man-made disaster.

The raging blaze after the explosion, which had risen to a height of about 500 feet, destroyed everything around the area and degraded the soil quality for generations.

The area affected by the explosion included reserved forest, part of the Akhaura-Sylhet railway, part of the Kamalganj- Sreemangal highway, Magurchhara Khasia punji and the main power line of PDB.

Besides, 28 tea gardens of the area were affected in the heavy aftershocks of a series of blasts. Trees, environment, and above all the biodiversity over an area of nearly 700 hectares of nearby forest area were severely damaged.

Besides, around 250 billion cubic feet of gas went up in flames. The total loss caused by the explosion has been estimated between Tk 90 billion and Tk 140 billion.

Nurul Muhaimin Milton, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Sangbadik Samitee in Moulvibazar, said people affected by the disaster are still waiting for proper compensation.

"The Forest Department has carried out reforestation in the areas that were destroyed in the blaze, but there has been a profound impact on the forest's biodiversity. The local Khasi residents of Lawachhara Punjee (village of the ethnic community) still remember the incident," said Saju Marchiang, information and publicity secretary of Khasi Social Council and a local resident.

An inquiry committee of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to find out the cause of the explosion blamed Occidental for negligence. The committee's report stated that 245.86 billion cubic feet of commercially recoverable gas went up in the air in the inferno.

A compensation of Tk 14,000 crores was demanded from Occidental in connection with the explosion.

A separate inquiry committee formed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in its report also demanded Tk 600 crore for regenerating the devastated forest area.

Contacted, Dr Jahangir Alam, divisional forest officer of Sylhet Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department, however, could not tell whether the compensation was received or not.

Chevron is currently extracting gas from the gas fields in Moulvibazar.

After a three-member sub-committee of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the power, energy and mineral resources ministry submitted its report accusing the Occidental of 14/15 violations, the US company rejected couple of those but acknowledged the others and signed the investigation report.

But without paying the compensation, the company left the country after handing over the responsibility of the gas field to another US company Unocal. The second company later handed over their interest Chevron and left Bangladesh, according to media reports.

Monayem Khan, president of Hill Protection and Development Society's Kamalganj unit, said they would arrange a human chain programme like every year demanding compensations. Later, a memorandum addressed to the prime minister will be handed over to the UNO, he added.

Contacted, Shaikh Jahidur Rahman, media and communications manager of Chevron Bangladesh, said the company currently meets all obligations under the production sharing contract with the Bangladesh government and Petrobangla, while all substantiated compensation claims pertaining to the Magurchhara incident have been settled.