Lok Sabha Question No. 106 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-03
Subject: Approval to Exploratory Drilling in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Sasikanth Senthil, Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 106

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.02.2025

## Approval to Exploratory Drilling in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary

## 106. SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL: SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  exploratory  drilling  for  oil  and  gas  has  been  approved  within  the  ecosensitive zone of Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary;
- (b) if so, the specific environmental safeguards that have been put in place to protect the sanctuary's biodiversity during the exploratory drilling phase;
- (c) whether there are any specific conditions recommended by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to mitigate environmental risks during the project and if so, the details of such recommendations;
- (d) whether any public consultations were conducted by the Government or the firm involved before according clearance to the project, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government has conducted any studies on the impact of the project on the connectivity of the sanctuary with the nearby Dissoi Reserve Forest and if so, the measures proposed to be taken to mitigate the same?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (c) The Standing Committee of National Board for Wild Life in its 81 st  meeting held on 21 st   December 2024 decided to recommend the proposal for Oil & Gas exploration drilling over an area of 4.4998 Ha in the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, District Jorhat, Assam. The proposal has been recommended with following conditions:
- (i) The  User  Agency  shall  submit  the  entire  plan  of  exploration drilling operations including the Material safety data sheet before commencement of the drilling operation to the controller DGH/ SPCB & Forest Department.
- (ii) The SPCB & Forest Department shall ensure direct control and continuous vigilance over the operations and the DGH to overlook all the controls & operations.
- (iii) The  User  Agency  shall  install  CCTV  DSS  (Digital  Videos Surveillance  System)  to  enable  real  time  monitoring  of  all  the operations by all the controllers (DGH/ SPCB/ Forest Dept.)
- (iv) Any violations of PCB norms shall result in immediate suspension of the operation and termination of the project and necessary legal actions will be taken against the project proponent.
- (v) No oil/ gas extraction shall be allowed from inside the ESZ area in case any reserves are discovered at the site.
- (vi) The User Agency shall ensure minimal tree felling. No adverse impact shall be caused to the wild animals and their habitat.
- (vii) The User Agency shall take adequate measures against all kinds of pollution  likely  to  be  caused  by  implementation  of  the  project including disasters like oil & gas leakage or explosion of the well.
- (viii) An amount equivalent to the cost of implementing the measures to mitigate impact of the activities proposed in the project in the ESZ shall be deposited by the User Agency to be utilized by the Chief Wild Life Warden in consonance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry vide F. No. 6-30/2019-WL dated 13.12.2023.
- (ix) An annual compliance certificate on the stipulated conditions shall be  submitted  by  the  User  Agency  to  the  State  Chief  Wild  Life Warden and an annual compliance certificate shall be submitted by the State Chief Wild Life Warden to Government.
- (d) All projects in respect of off-shore  and onshore oil and gas exploration have been categorized as 'B2' projects under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification,  2006,  thereby  exempting  them  from  the  requirement  of  EIA report and Public Consultation.
- (e) Based on the decision taken by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life in its 80 th  meeting held on 9 th  October, 2024, a site inspection committee was constituted  by  the Ministry.  This committee undertook  site inspection and noted that the ESZ around the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary notified by the Ministry in September, 2019 also includes the Dissoi Valley Reserved Forest. As per the ESZ notification, certain activities have been  categorized  as  prohibited,  regulated  and  promoted.  The  purpose  of categorization  of  activities  as  prohibited  and  regulated  in  the  ESZ  which includes Dissoi Reserved Forest is to mitigate impacts on the sanctuary.

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