APPCB seeks ₹36.17 crore compensation from ONGC for well blowout
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board issued a show-cause notice to ONGC regarding the Mori-5 well in Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has proposed an environmental compensation of ₹36.17 crore against the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). According to The Hindu, the notice follows the operation of the Mori-5 well without mandatory environmental clearances for 12,057 days.
The APPCB began investigating the violation after a gas leak caused a blowout at the Mori-5 well in Irusumanda Village on January 5, 2026. The board's Monitoring Committee noted that the well had been handed over to the Production Enhancement Contracts contractor, M/s Deep Exploratory Services Pvt Ltd, in April 2025.
APPCB Member Secretary S. Srisaravanan stated in a show-cause notice dated September 15 that the board is seeking the compensation because the facility operated in violation of consent conditions.
Environmental activist Venkatapathi Raja Yenumala has filed a case regarding the Mori-5 well operations and the blowout incident before the National Green Tribunal in Chennai.
ONGC has been instructed to provide a response to the notice within 15 days. If the company fails to reply, the ₹36.17 crore compensation will be imposed for environmental damage caused by the blowout.