March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

SUKKUR, March 28: Seismic survey being conducted by the Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) has been suspended by officials of the Wildlife Department at Nara Game Sanctuary adjacent to Sardar Garh, district Ghotki, amid a row between the two government institutions.

According to sources, the OGDC was carrying out survey to ascertain presence of oil and gas reserves in the Sardar Garh bloc without taking the Environment Protection Agency and the Wildlife department into confidence.

According to Warden of Wildlife Nara Game Sanctuary, Ghulam Mohammad Gadani, a written agreement must have been signed prior to exploration of oil and gas reserves after settlement of terms and condition with the EPA and Wildlife department. As per agreement, the department would have earmarked a safer place for shifting of animals.

He said that companies such as PETRONAZ, OMV, ONV and others were also engaged in exploration of oil and gas in the region but only after completion of legal formalities while officials of the OGDC, a government institution, were creating fuss almost with every department.

He said that for the last 10 days OGDC officials were pressuring them on telephone and refusing to sign any agreement either with the Wildlife or and other agency, and justified the action against the OGDC.

He said that Pakistan and Sindh chapters of the EPA were going to lodge a complaint against the OGDC for what he called flouting of rules and regulations.

When this correspondent contacted the Sukkur Regional Coordinator of the OGDC, Sikander Ali Shaikh, he showed ignorance over the issue and handed over a list of Islamabad–based officials including one Abid Tufail who could not be reached for comments.

This correspondent also tried to contact the field, plant manager and operation manager of Qadirpur gas field, who are nearest to ODGC field of Sardar Garh but no one picked up phone.