Magurchhara 'blowout day' today

Twenty years into Magurchhara gas field explosion, compensation for huge damage to Lawacherra forest worth crores of taka is yet to be realised.

On the night of June 14 in 1997, a massive explosion took place at Magurchhara gas field in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar while US energy company Occidental was drilling a well there.

The inferno that the blowout triggered wiped out property worth crores of taka. The US energy company, which was widely blamed for the devastation, is yet to pay compensation for the damage, said MA Wahid Dulu, president of Kamalganj Unnayan Parishad.

Jabed Bhuiyan, joint convener of Lawacherra Bon O Jibo Boichitro Rokkha Andolon, said Magurchhara blowout had huge impact on the nearby rare rainforest Lawacherra.

Nurul Muhaimin Milton, general secretary of Moulvibazar Paribesh Sangbadik Forum, said they wanted to know the reason behind the long silence of the leaders and the government regarding settlement of compensation claims.

Mihir Kumar Doe, divisional forest officer (wildlife) of Moulvibazar, said they did not get any compensation following the gas well explosion.

Lawacherra Reserve Forest adjacent to the exploded gas well was massively damaged. A segun timber garden, established in the years between 1944 to 1950, a bamboo garden, established in the years 1993 to 1995, and a strip of plantation, which was established in 1994, were also extensively damaged by the fire.

According to forest department, about 96 acres of Lawacherra forest were completely burnt. Fifty percent of forest resources on 111.15 acres of land and 30 percent resources on 106.21 acres of land of the reserve forest were also damaged.