KARACHI: Authorities tracked down a cargo vessel which is believed to have caused an oil slick on the coasts of Karachi and Balochistan and polluted coastal area near Mubarak Village and Charna Island.
According to media reports, a local contractor used a small boat to dump bunker oil from the 2200-tonne vessel anchored at Gadani. The oil, between seven to ten metric tonnes, was dumped near the seashore. As per details, the ship owner had asked a contractor to dispose of the bunker oil into the sea. According to media reports, the ship was carrying material needed by a steel mill for steel manufacturing.
The oil polluted five square kilometers of land and sea in Sindh and Balochistan. Meanwhile, samples of the oil have been sent for further testing. According to reports, the name of the owners would not be announced until the results of the tests are out.
A joint report by the PMSA and Balochistan Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said that a ship likely dumped bunker oil into the sea. According to the authorities, the oil was bunker oil which is used by ships as fuel. The ship might have dumped the oil into the sea before arriving at the yard, as there is a ban on emptying the fuel tank before arriving at the ship-breaking yard. The oil slick was first spotted by locals near Charna Island on October 26 when the high sea tides left black “globs” behind on the beach, making the residents worry about the potential damage to the island’s flora and fauna.
Published in Daily Times, October 31st 2018.
