Assam Blowout – Causes, Consequences, Way Ahead

Yet another addition to the series of industrial accidents and disasters plaguing India during the trying times of a global pandemic- recently dubbed ‘The Anthropause’. The Assam blowout that happened in May and the subsequent fires in June has claimed several lives apart from causing gross damage to the environment and the livelihood of the locals. This comes at a time when environmentalists are continuing to raise concerns about the draft Environmental Impact Assessment norms 2020. The current incident is presenting itself to India as a test of its ability to learn from its mistakes and prioritize what’s important in the long run.

What is the issue?

• Recently, an oil well in Tinsukia district of Ea