The appeal of Baghjan blowout victims requesting further compensation for the 2020 oil and gas catastrophe was denied by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 13, 2024. The NGT dismisses compensation claims of Baghjan victims, stating that an earlier round of “preliminary interim measures” in 2020 was sufficient. These actions divided victims into three groups, and depending on the extent of the losses, compensation ranged from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. The disaster’s cause, Oil India Limited (OIL), has already paid Rs 15 lakh to 161 households in the first category and Rs 10 lakh to 439 families in the second.

During the trial, OIL contested the extension of victim categories, arguing that it was unreasonable to classify more families as equals to the first 12 most afflicted families and that it was under pressure to comply with local requests. The NGT stated that additional compensation was unwarranted, arguing that awarding Rs 25 lakh to all families in the first group would treat unequal cases as equals.

Baghjan Disaster: Widespread Damage and Unmet Expectations

In addition to displacing more than 9,000 people, the Baghjan fire and explosion destroyed 1,580 hectares of water bodies, tea plantations, and farmland. An NGT-appointed committee’s first assessments classified victims according to the degree of property loss; 12 families whose homes were “completely gutted” were given Rs 25 lakh each. More families were added to higher pay categories as a result of local groups, such as Milan Jyoti Yuba Sangha, advocating for more expansive compensation standards. As of October 2020, 439 households had been added to the second group and 161 families to the first.

OIL subsequently disputed the increased claims, highlighting differences in damages and their financial obligations, even though the business had already consented to these updated categories during previous discussions. In the end, the NGT dismisses the compensation claims of Baghjan victims, siding with OIL’s argument against raising compensation for the first category.

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Villagers React: Anger and Loss Amid Ongoing Challenges

Baghjan villagers are outraged by the NGT’s decision, which they say is unfair, per the victims and local officials. Individual petitioners and Milan Jyoti Yuba Sangha voiced their dissatisfaction, claiming that the harm brought on by chemical condensates and chronic environmental pollution had not received enough attention.

Citing government research that links condensates to cancer, main petitioner Manoj Hazarika emphasized the long-term health and environmental effects. A villager named Sukreshwar Neog, who committed suicide after returning to his destroyed home, is one example of an emotional testimony that highlights the toll the catastrophe has placed on the community. Residents insist that no amount of money can make up for their pain, but they still want responsibility and equitable treatment.

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