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Gujarat camel deaths: GPCB implicates ONGC for water contamination, pollution
The camels, which were the livelihood of the Maldhari community residing in Kacchipura village of Vagara taluka, allegedly died after consuming water from the lake
The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has implicated Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) following allegations of water contamination in Gujarat’s Bharuch district which resulted in the tragic death of 25 camels earlier this week.
R B Trivedi, vigilance officer, GPCB, said, “We have issued directives to ONGC under the Environment (Protection) Act for causing water and ground pollution. Our investigation indicates that a leakage in the ONGC pipelines led to pollution in a waterbody within Bharuch district.”
On Sunday, 25 camels died after drinking contaminated water from a pond near the parched Kacchipura village of Vagara taluka in Bharuch district.
While the exact cause of the deaths remains unknown, pending post-mortem and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports, Trivedi said, “Our actions against ONGC are precautionary and aimed at implementing remedial measures. The true cause of the camels’ demise can only be determined once we receive the findings from these reports.”
He said it may take a few more days for the reports to be prepared.
ONGC has not commented on the GPCB statement. A senior company official who asked not to be quoted said there was a leakage in a pipeline in the area where the camel deaths took place but this did not appear linked to the camel death.
“We are committed to our responsibility towards the environment, and we will expedite the clean-up process. On the face of it, there does not seem to be any connection between the camel deaths and ONGC leakage although some are trying to connect the two. The place in question was a pool created due to oil leakage and no animal would go near such a place. The GPCB action on ONGC is for pollution and not for the camel deaths,” said the official.
The incident took place as a group of 25 camels, which were the livelihood of the Maldhari community residing in Kacchipura village of Vagara taluka, stopped at a nearby waterbody and died after consuming water from the lake allegedly contaminated due to a pipeline leakage carrying crude oil through the area.
The loss of these camels has struck a severe blow to their community, already grappling with a drinking water crisis.
Rehmanbhai Jatt, a 67-year-old resident of Kacchipura on Tuesday recounted the tragic events, and stated, “In an attempt to provide relief from the scorching heat, villagers decided to take the camels to Chanchvel Lake. However, upon reaching a waterbody en route, the camels began to drop dead one by one, leaving the villagers in shock and disbelief.”
Meanwhile, the authorities have initiated a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the contamination and hold responsible parties accountable.
In response to the incident, a vigilance team from GPCB swiftly arrived at the scene on Monday to conduct a thorough inquiry.
A government veterinary officer in Bharuch who conducted a post-mortem of the camels confirmed the deaths of 25 camels but acknowledged that the precise cause of their demise remains uncertain.
