Following the report of an oil tanker accident near Changpang oil block area along Nagaland-Assam border while fleeing the spot with loaded crude-oil from the leaking oil wells, Changpang Land Owners’ Union (CLOU) Monday said that it was a case of “hi-tech smugglers” illegally extracting crude oil from the spot.
The union also said that some villagers who were involved in the incident have been arrested by police but the owner and driver of the vehicle were absconding after the accident.
CLOU Monday conducted an on the spot verification and found out that the incident took place right under the nose of the security forces manning the area.
The union also found out that the oil tanker (Ashok Leyland NL 05-D-5954) with 12000 litres of fuel tank capacity met with an accident at well-head location at number Changpang-Nagaland (CN) – 8 while trying to flee.
After a meeting Monday, CLOU and the village council of Changpang condemned the “anti-social elements” who were involved in illegal extraction.
CLOU has already submitted a memorandum to EAC, Chanpang headquarters, Wokha seeking higher authorities’ intervention to trace the culprits involved and award befitting punishment at the earliest as per the law of the land.
The union has also demanded that compensation should be extracted from the culprits as per the existing international crude oil market price.
Stating that those involved from the village have been arrested and handed over to the police, CLOU also demanded the arrest of other “outsiders” who were involved in the extraction. The union also questioned the government’s silence over the issue.
It has now given one week’s time for authorities to deal with the current issue failing which the union would be compelled to take its own course of action, said CLOU.