US team to cap ONGC well in Assam's Sivasagar: CM Himanta

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 20 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that a team of American experts has arrived at the ONGC's RDS-147A well site in Sivasagar district to assist in efforts to cap an ongoing gas leak, which poses potential danger due to its proximity to a river embankment.
Addressing a press conference at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, CM Sarma said the well-capping operation would begin on Saturday. He warned that any flooding caused by the monsoon could worsen the situation significantly.
"An expert team from the USA has reached, and the process of capping the well will start tomorrow. The well is located near a river embankment, and if a flood comes at this moment, then the situation will become worse. Our main focus is to control the gas leakage," he said.
CM Sarma confirmed that around 50 per cent of the groundwork site preparations and equipment mobilisation have already been completed. ONGC has now opted for a more practical and secure approach to sealing the well, and the entire operation is being monitored 24/7 by both the central and state governments.
On the issue of communal harmony, the Chief Minister said, "After Eid, a section is trying to harm communal harmony in a few places in Assam, first Dhubri, then Lakhipur, Lakhimpur, Goalpara and now in Hojai."
Referring to the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, he said, "According to our Cattle Preservation Act, no one can eat, sale beef within a radius of 5 km where a Hindu temple, a Namghar, are situated. Within a radius of 5 km, eating and selling of beef is completely prohibited."
We direct the district administration to impose the Cattle Preservation Act strictly. We have decided to strictly implement the 5 km radius section of the act, and I think this will become a permanent solution to the entire process," he said.
"We will send a SoP to the district administration so that there will be no kurbani in future within a radius of 5 km from the temple, namghar. Any religious institute-The state government will implement it strictly. Kurbani of this special animal--Not be allowed," he added.
"I have asked all DCs to survey the sensitive areas (tribal belt and block, VGR, PGR areas) to make a list of people where non Indigenous Assamese people, non-ST, SC, OBC people are living (less than three generations)," the Chief Minister said.
CM Sarma also spoke about suspicious activities on social media. "In the past month, 5,000 to 6,000 social media accounts have become active. These accounts posted content supporting Pro-Iranian, Pro-Palestinian, and Dr Yunus sentiments, and also backed a particular party leader. We conducted a forensic audit of newly created Facebook accounts and examined 2,092 of them, with the investigation still ongoing. Of these, over 700 accounts were found to be operated by individuals based in Bangladesh, as per their disclosures. Additionally, we identified 350 accounts originating from Pakistan."
He added, "More than 500 accounts are active from Middle Eastern countries."
The Chief Minister said, "There are also 35 accounts from Afghanistan, four from Albania, and two from Australia--all linked to a single community."
He further stated: "618 from Bangladesh, six from Brazil, one from Canada, one from Columbia, six from Egypt, 54 from France, four from Germany, 16 from Indonesia, eight from Iraq, three from Italy, 10 from Jordan, 88 from Kuwait, one from Lybia, two from Palestine, 236 from Pakistan." (ANI)