The Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary covers 20.98km² and is connected to 264.92km² ESZ. Credit: Amitrane / Shutterstock.

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has sanctioned Vedanta Group’s Cairn Oil & Gas to undertake exploratory drilling in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat district, Assam, India.

Cairn will conduct the drilling over the 4.4998ha reserve forest area at Well Pad SP-1- East-2 in AA-ONHP-2017/4 Block.

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Covering 20.98km², the Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is connected to its 264.92km² ESZ, the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest, and forested regions in Nagaland, which is vital for the habitat of seven primate species.

The sanctuary is already facing pressures from human activities, and a nearby railway line is set to be electrified, a move supported by the NBWL’s Standing Committee.

Amid environmental concerns, the Forest Advisory Committee of the Union Environment Ministry had previously given in-principle approval for the project on 27 August 2024.

Following an inspection in November by the Union Environment Ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the Assam Forest Department, the committee concluded that the drilling would cause minimal damage and specified that no commercial drilling would be permitted.

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Vedanta Group has provided a written commitment to refrain from any commercial drilling at the site and will solely aim to identify hydrocarbon reserves, with any potential extraction occurring outside the ESZ.  

The company also assured that no hazardous substances would be used during the exploration process.

The project site is situated in a disputed area along the Assam-Nagaland border, and the inspection team was required to coordinate with local authorities and communities from Nagaland.

The Inspector General of Forests’ Forest Conservation Division noted that while exploratory drilling is crucial for hydrocarbon extraction, it may lead to commercial drilling if reserves are found.

However, the inspection committee’s report has recommended against any extraction of oil or gas from within the ESZ, even if reserves are discovered.