KARACHI: NGOs fail to attend hearing on oil exploration
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 10: Representatives of NGOs failed to appear at a public hearing held here on Saturday on environmental impact assessment for seismic and drilling activities in the Southwest Miano-II concession in Sukkur and Khairpur districts.
The Environmental Protection Agency, Sindh, organized the public hearing, where proponents and their consultants made a detailed presentation on the project, as a regulatory requirement under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act of 1997 and the Initial Environmental Examination regulations 2000. The adviser to the Sindh chief minister on environment, Faisal Malik, was present at the hearing for some time.
The proposed exploration activities within the concession include nearly 1,000 km two-dimensional seismic operation and drilling of three exploratory or appraisal wells over a period of three years and ultimately to cast impacts on physical and biological environment, socioeconomic environment and heritage aspects in the area.
In view of the location of the gas project in the environmentally-sensitive area, ie, the Takkar wildlife sanctuary, Nara desert wildlife sanctuary and Nara Game reserves, in addition to a general invitation to the quarters concerned and community people, the EPA had requested NGOs and government functionaries to be present at the public hearing. Participation of the NGOs was highly negligible, said one of the participants, adding since NGOs claimed to have expertise in the subject they should have attended the hearing to give their valuable inputs, highlight the problems and put forward suggestions.
He said local people, especially nazims and other pubic representatives, should have come to the hearing to at least confirm the reports submitted by the proponent of the project. NGOs and public representatives, who were supposed to champion the cause of better environment and sustainable development, should be present at such public hearings, said a government official.
Representatives of the proponents, giving information about the exploration process and methodology, maintained that any potential impacts on the physical, biological, socioeconomic and archaeological and cultural environment caused by the seismic and drilling operations would be minimized through mitigation and monitoring measures.
They said the 1,000km two-dimensional seismic operations would also have positive impacts on the local communities as they would be employed in the project, whereas other facilities related to health, education and skill development would also be set up under the project.
However, experts and government officials, from different departments, referred to the techniques such as vibroseis, dynamite and upholoes, use of water for the project and people involved, land clearing, vehicles and heavy machines use and acquisition of productive lands for the project facilities and feared that such activities would cause not only soil erosion but would also add to the soil, water, air and noise pollution and cause depletion of water resources, vegetation and massive disturbance to wildlife and birds as well.
“We should carry out development activities in a sustainable manner so that potential resources of the project areas are efficiently used,” said one of the speakers.
