Houses rattled, residents riled: ONGC blast leaves Llocals seeking compensation in Tripura

In a troubling development, approximately 25 houses, including several mud dwellings, in the Barajala Banshtali area of Bishramganj, Tripura’s Sepahijala District, have reportedly sustained significant damage due to a series of landmine explosions carried out by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Tripura Asset. The explosions, conducted as part of natural gas exploration activities, have left distraught residents clamoring for swift compensation to address the devastation wrought upon their homes.

According to sources, the detonation of dynamite for underground exploration has resulted in extensive structural damage to 20 to 25 residences in the vicinity. Billal Hossain, a local resident, expressed the frustration of the affected community, emphasizing their demand for compensation from ONGC officials before allowing further detonations. “We are impoverished people, and in such circumstances, they are blasting explosives, damaging our homes,” Hossain lamented.

Residents have recounted numerous instances of house cracks stemming from the repeated dynamite explosions during ONGC’s exploration endeavors. Despite ONGC’s assurances to the contrary, residents assert that their homes have suffered significant harm.