Several villages in Tripura have been protesting against exploration activities carried out by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), alleging damages to houses and roads and demanding compensation.
On 23 January 2024, villagers of Haldi Charra, Unakoti, in the Tripura district, made a collective decision to halt all work related to construction project undertaken by ONGC as a sign of unity. The villagers expressed distress over the damage caused to their betel nut trees, ponds, local roads and houses due to the construction activities. Demanding fair compensation for the damages incurred, the villagers insisted that senior officials from ONGC engage in direct dialogue with them to address the issues at hand.
Similar protests erupted in Romola and Herma villages in the Charilam administrative block and Mandabakilla village under the Bishalgarh sub-division of the Sepahijala district against ONGC's gas exploration activities. They alleged that the drilling activities led to land degradation, water contamination, and disruption of agricultural activities, posing a threat to their well-being and way of life. Residents demanded compensation for damages to their houses due to dynamite blasts used by ONGC.
In April 2024, villagers of the West Charilam Koroimura area staged a protest against ONGC’s gas exploration and drilling project work. They said that around 250 houses in their village developed cracks due to ONGC's exploration activities and demanded compensation for the families affected by the project work.
The ONGC has been exploring gas in Tripura since 1962, discovering 11 gas fields and contributing to the ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC) power plant in the Gomati district.
Tension escalated in May 2024 following clashes between the villagers of Mandabakilla and ONGC officials after the former trie to obstruct drilling activities. The ONGC filed a case against four individuals from the village at the Bishalgarh police station for allegedly impeding the drilling work.
Civil society organisations and human rights activists condemned the FIR filed against the villagers and labelled it as an attempt to suppress dissent.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for compensation
Opposition against environmental degradation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
4
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Don't Know
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
IPC, 1980
Section 188, Section 283
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Residential area, Water bodies, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
No
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Arrest/detention/imprisonment
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Yes
Reported Details of the Violation:
In the Mandabakilla village, situated under the Bishalgarh sub-division of Tripura’s Sepahijala District, clashes intensified between villagers and officials of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). In response to the villagers’ protests and obstruction of drilling activities, based on ONGC authorities' complaints, a case had been filed against four individuals from the village at the Bishalgarh police station for allegedly impeding the drilling work. The four individuals have been arrested under IPC sections 188 and 283.
Date of Violation
May 22, 2024
Location of Violation
Mandabakilla village situated under the Bishalgarh sub-division
Tripura
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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