Fire due to pipeline leak in Assam’s Burhi Dihing river contained

The fire on Burhi Dihing took place on Sunday at Naharkatia in Dibrugarh district, nearly 450 km east of Guwahati, after oil from the Oil India Limited (OIL) pipeline started leaking.

Published on: Feb 3, 2020, 19:32:26 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A massive fire that broke out on the Burhi Dihing river in Assam on Sunday due to leakage from an underground oil pipeline has been contained, officials informed on Monday.

Pipeline leak led to fire in Burhi Dihing river. (U Parashar/HT Photos)

The fire on Burhi Dihing took place on Sunday at Naharkatia in Dibrugarh district, nearly 450 km east of Guwahati, after oil from the Oil India Limited (OIL) pipeline started leaking.

“Fire on the river surface started after the oil spill covered it. It continued for a few hours and once the spilled oil got burnt, the fire subsided on Sunday evening,” said Padmanabh Baruah, additional superintendent of police (headquarters), Dibrugarh district.

“Officials from OIL also reached the spot and stopped the leakage from the pipeline. Since the fire took place in the middle of the river, it didn’t cause much damage. No one was injured in the incident,” he added.

Baruah informed that minor fires due to such leakages have taken place in the past as well and added that the leakage wasn’t the outcome of some subversive activity.

Pipelines in Assam are sometimes targeted by oil thieves who drill holes to extract fuel illegally. There have been several instances in the past where militant outfits have targeted oil pipelines.

“Big fires caused due to burning of hydrocarbons could cause release of greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide and affect the nearby environment a bit,” said Hari Prasad Sarma, professor, department of environmental science, Gauhati University.

“Dissolution of carbon dioxide in water in large quantities for long periods of time could hurt living organisms in the river. But in this instance, the damage, if any, seems minimal,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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