To an extent the problem has something to do with local geography. Manipuris have to travel through Nagaland to reach Dzuku. North East News Agency

MANIPUR Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi, and Tourism Minister Chongkhkai Doungel assured the Manipur Assembly that the Dzuku valley is within Manipur. This was in response to concern voiced by Okram Joy (MPP) and Laisom Ibomcha (FPM) in the wake of harassment of trekkers.

A group of Angami students and some other locals reportedly detained 41 trekkers who entered the valley for three hours. They were set free only after they signed on blank papers. Their identity cards were however withheld. Tourism Minister Dungel said that the trekkers did not inform the government before setting out on their long walk through the Dzuku valley. He promised to look into the incident. On June 24, Okram Joy took up the issue with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. He is yet to get a reply. Ibomcha  remarked though Manipuris claim the Valley belongs to us, the people of Nagaland had occupied it. This is not the last word. It will be a while before the impasse breaks.

To an extent the problem has something to do with the local geography. Manipuris to reach Dzuku have to travel through Nagaland. A mountain stream is the natural boundary between the two states. To obviate the handicap, the Manipur government has been planning to construct a road from Mao Potato Farm to the Valley.

Like all sarkari plans it is still a PUC- project under consideration. There are reports in the meanwhile that Angami students and an NGO had imposed ‘crippling restrictions’ on the movement of Manipur people and the Manipur government in the Dzuku valley. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi maintains that he has no information about any restrictions. He quotes a report of the official team which visited the valley to say that there is no construction by the Nagaland Government on Manipur’s side of the valley. To silence his critics, he called for a fresh field report from the District Collector. “If the report is not satisfactory a house committee can visit the Dzuku valley for an on the spot study of the situation”, chief minister Ibobi declared.

Fresh lease to old oil wells

OLD into Young may be difficult for humans. But it is possible for oil wells say OIL and have brought in a team of American and Russian geologists to breathe fresh life into its ageing oilfields in Assam. “The American and Russian experts are working to revitalise the ageing oil wells with some very advanced technology,” said M. Bhandari, OIL General Manager in-charge of drilling operations. “The main focus now is to arrest the decline in oil production and hence our efforts at enhanced oil recovery measures.” OIL, operating in Assam since 1953, produces about three million tonnes of crude in the State out of a total annual production of about five million tonnes. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), another leading exploration company, produces the remaining two million tonnes of crude in Assam. India produced about 32 million tonnes of crude last year. The annual crude production in Assam has been stagnant for the past six years. Low recovery from ageing oilfields is cited as the reason for sagging production of crude from a region known to be rich in oil and other natural resources. “About 60 percent of our total 500 oil wells in Assam are ageing and that is a real concern for us,” said Suresh Baruah, another OIL engineer. “We are trying to establish new reserves and pools as an extension of the current fields and also going for sophisticated technologies to boost production from the ageing wells. Our target is now to produce about seven million tonnes of crude in another 10 years’ time.” The ONGC, operating in Assam since 1959, has a total of 1,250 oil wells in the State of which 700 are ageing wells where production has been dwindling. The region’s disturbed security situation and frequent strike calls by pressure groups demanding job reservations for local youths have also added to the sluggish crude production. “I wouldn’t say insurgency has affected the morale of the workforce, but then we shall have to achieve our target despite all odds,” Bhandari said. Both OIL and the ONGC have been carrying out seismic surveys and preliminary exploratory works in other states in the North-East, which have so far remained “unexplored”. “We feel the North-Eastern region is sitting on a virtual oil field and, once explored, the chances are quite bright,” Baruah said.

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