Gas flaring is now recognized as a major environmental problem. Smoking flare may be a significant contributor to overall particulate emissions. It also results in production of excessive heat in the nearby areas. The present investigation aims to study the impact of elevated soil temperature on physiological parameters of tea plant growing adjacent to Gas flaring site. The experimental plot was laid out in 5 x 2 factorial RCBD with two factors viz. different distances from the flare site and two seasons in two different tea gardens adjacent to Kathaloni OCS and Merbil Majuli OCS 6 in Dibrugarh district of Assam in 2019-20. Plant and soil samples were collected and estimation of some select plant physiological parameters was done. Significant increase in soil temperature and decrease in soil moisture content was observed in distance closer to the flare pit. The result of the study revealed that there was a gradual decline in relative turgidity, specific leaf weight, plucking point density, stomatal count, leaf area measurement, polyphenol content, chlorophyll content, caffeine content but an increase in water saturation deficit of the green tea leaves on plants existing at a distance moving closer to the flare pit. A significant increase in rain flushing season as compared to autumn was observed in all the plant parameters except water saturation deficit.

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.