Article:
Recent news reports have highlighted an environmental crisis in the Eastern Assam region where a stretch of Dihing, also known as Burhi Dihing, experienced a fire outbreak. The root cause was traced back to crude oil spillage during transportation to the Digboi refinery. This oil spillage holds severe repercussions for Assam, especially due to its ecological sensitivity. The local aquatic life is at particular risk from crude or processed oil spills.
Understanding Oil Spills
An oil spill entails the release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment. This most frequently affects marine ecosystems and is a direct consequence of human activities. Essentially, it can be regarded as a specific type of pollution. Concerningly, this incident in Eastern Assam is not an isolated event but part of a larger global issue.
The Significance of Dihing River
Dihing or Burhi Dihing is a large tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Upper Assam. It originates in the Eastern Himalayas, specifically in the Patkai Hills of Arunachal Pradesh. After flowing through the Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Districts in Assam, the river finally meets the Brahmaputra at Dihingmukh. Along its course, the river creates numerous oxbow lakes.
The Brahmaputra River boasts several other significant tributaries, including the Dibang River, Lohit River, Dhansiri River, Kolong River, Kameng River, Manas River, Beki River, Raidak River, Jaldhaka River, Teesta River, and Subansiri River.
About Digboi Oil Refinery
Located in the Tinsukia district of Assam, the Digboi Oil Refinery has the distinction of being India’s oldest operating refinery. It also figures amongst the oldest running refineries worldwide. The Digboi Refinery is referred to as the “Gangotri of the Indian Hydrocarbon sector,” underlining its historical significance.
Oxbow Lakes: Nature’s Unique Creations
An oxbow lake’s journey starts out as a curve or a meander in a river. These U-shaped lakes form on the side of a river when the latter finds a shorter course. Owing to their structure, water neither flows into nor out of oxbow lakes. This unique characteristic often leads them to become swamps or bogs. Additionally, they tend to dry up due to water evaporation.
Meandering rivers, which form snake-like patterns as they flow across flat valley floors, typically give birth to these lakes. This phenomenon is most common in the middle and lower course of a river. It happens when vertical erosion gets replaced by lateral erosion and deposition occurs within the floodplain.
For this article, information was sourced from TH.
