The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board issued a show-cause notice following a gas blowout and fire at the Mori-5 well in January.
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has issued a show-cause notice to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), proposing environmental compensation of Rs 36.17 crore. According to reports by The Hindu and The New Indian Express, the notice follows a gas blowout and fire at the Mori-5 well in Irusumanda village, Dr. B.
R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, on January 5, 2026.
The incident occurred during perforation and workover operations. The APPCB stated that the well had been operating without mandatory Environmental Clearance and without securing Consent to Establish (CTE) or Consent to Operate (CTO) for 12,057 days.
A monitoring committee reviewed the incident on April 8, 2026, following a National Green Tribunal case filed by environmental activist Venkatapati Raja Yenumula. The panel recommended a stop-production order and the prosecution of the occupier.
The well had been handed over to contractor Deep Exploratory Services Pvt Ltd in April 2025 for production enhancement activities. APPCB Member Secretary S. Srisaravanan stated that the notice asks why the compensation should not be levied for operating the well in violation of consent conditions.
The APPCB has directed ONGC to submit a reply within 15 days. The board stated that failure to respond would result in the imposition of the Rs 36.17 crore compensation for environmental damage caused by the blowout.
