Oil-Mining and its Impact on Agricultural Land-Use and Crop Production in Sivasagar District, Assam

Abstract

In recent years, oil mining by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in the Sivasagar district has triggered a significant land-use/land-cover pattern change. A large portion of agricultural land along with forested areas have been converted into oil mining areas. The land-use/land-cover changes transform agricultural lands into mining areas, and the surrounding areas are also affected due to oil spills and industrial waste spread. A single oil rig is affecting large agricultural areas, which may not be in mining areas, due to which agricultural production is reducing in those areas. Oil exploration and extraction are associated with environmental risks and other problems. However, though there are efforts by oil-mining operators to minimize the risk by adopting advanced technologies, some difficulties remain unattended. Thus, this paper aims to study only one issue of how oil-mining activities have impacted crops’ agricultural land use and productivity. Sivasagar District has a suitable physical setting for practising agriculture and tea plantation. The geological setting of the district is favourable for the occurrence, migration and entrapment of crude oil. In this study, various sources of primary and secondary data have been used to find out the impact on agricultural land-use due to oil exploration. Interpretation of Satellite data and analyzing the data using RS/GIS technique. Simple statistical techniques have been used to calculate the percentage of area affected and crop production. Oil mining activities have caused a reduction in agricultural land by 7.35% in Sivasagar District during 2012-24. The maximum decrease in agricultural land happened in Sonari Revenue Circle (11.36%) in the same period. These agricultural lands are converted into built-up areas for rig and equipment installations on surface, wastelands and water bodies, besides underground changes due to oil extraction.