Effect of Gas Flaring on Physico-Chemical Properties of Soil under Tea Plantation in Assam, India

Gas flaring is a major contributor to the emission of toxic gases and other gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere. A study was undertaken to establish gas flaring effects on physic-chemical properties of soil under tea plantation in Assam, India. The experimental plot was laid out in 5 x 2 factorial RCBD. The experiment was carried out in small tea grower’s gardens adjacent to OCS-6 at Merbil Majuli and Kothaloni OCS in Dibrugarh district of Assam in the year 2019-20. The experimental plots were laid out at 11 metres away from the gas flaring point. Plots were selected at an interval of 20 metres within the experimental design i.e. D1 (11-31m), D2 (31-51m), D3 (51-71m), D4 (71-91m) and DC (150-170m) where, DC denotes control plot. Soil samples for the study were obtained for two tea growing season i.e. rainy and autumn season from the selected gardens. Soil physical parameters such as bulk density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, soil temperature and soil moisture and chemical parameters such as pH, organic carbon content, available NPK and electrical conductivity of both effected and control plots were evaluated in the laboratory to check the effect of gas flaring and the results obtained were compared with those from the control plot. The results showed that the soil temperature, soil moisture content, soil organic carbon and available NPK of both Merbil Majuli and Kothaloni were significantly affected by gas flaring with respect to distances. But, the bulk density, soil porosity, hydraulic conductivity, soil pH and electrical conductivity of soil were not affected by gas flaring.