KARACHI, Sept 23: Three multinational oil companies, which are actively involved in oil and gas exploration in the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, are not fulfilling their commitment to carry out a research study in the protected area, it is learnt.

According to sources, over a year has passed when the three oil companies — who formed a consortium — had committed to sponsor the baseline study of the sanctuary when they were granted conditional permissions to carry out their exploration activities.

The consortium comprises Petronas Caragali of Malaysia, OMV of Austria, and Eni- Pakistan of Italy. Petronas is working in Mubarak and East Kadanwari blocs; OMV is working in Maino, Sawan and Gambat blocs; and Eni-Pakistan (which has taken over the operations of an English oil company, Lasmo) is working in Kadanwari.

The Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary — having an area of approximately quarter of a million hectors — is located from the left side of the Nara Canal which originates from the Sukkur Barrage up to the Indian border stretching over desert regions in the Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur and Sanghar districts.

The sources said that the government agencies had agreed to approve the environmental impact assessments submitted by these oil companies with a condition that they would sponsor the baseline study. The oil companies had also committed to sponsor the study.

The sources said that various other EIAs had also been approved and the oil companies were also carrying out other exploration works in the protected area, but they were not taking an active interest in fulfilling their commitment to sponsor the study.

They said that one of the oil companies—OMV — had even installed the Central Production Plant (CPP) in the Sawan Bloc, after it had given the commitment to sponsor the study. The plant was erected, but the study had not yet started.

The sources said that the a team of two experts of the oil companies’ UK-based consultants — Mott MacDonald — had visited the Sanctuary last year, and after the visit they held a briefing for the stake-holders — Sindh Wildlife Department, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and other government organizations — in the federal capital.

The consultants had promised at the meeting last year to submit the Terms of Reference (TORs) for the study within a month. The sources said that the consultants had already submitted the TORs with the oil companies, which were sponsoring # the study.

They said the oil companies were supposed to circulate these TORs among the stake-holders — SWD, SEPA and other relevant organizations — but they had not circulated the TORs and the matter rested at that stage for the past many months.

The sources further said that after the TORs were circulated among the stake-holders, they would give in their inputs, and afterwards a meeting would be held to finalize the TORs, after which open tenders would be floated to hire consultants to carry out the baseline study.

The sources said the Sanctuary had received good monsoon rains this year after a passage of many years of draught-like situation; and if the process of the study was started soon, a good account of flora and fauna could be obtained from the biodiversity-rich protected area.

The sources said that while the oil companies, which had already been extracting oil and gas from the protected area for the past many years and had earned billions of rupees, were yet to start the already committed baseline study, another multinational oil company, Premier — Kufpec Pak (PKP), which was still in the process of exploration activities in the Khirthar National Park, had already completed the baseline study and was also in the process of making the management plan for the park.

They added that the company had spent, as committed, a substantial amount on scientific studies, despite the fact that it was yet to earn anything from the area.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, the Sindh Wildlife conservator, Husain Bux Bhagat, said the consortium of the three oil companies had committed to sponsor the baseline study over a year back; Some work had been done and some experts had visited the Sanctuary a year ago, but then things stopped at that point.

The SWD chief said the oil companies were continuously carrying out their oil and gas exploration and other activities in the area, but the work on baseline study seemed to have been put on the back-burner.

He said he would approach the oil companies to inquire about the status of the work, soon.