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August 28, 2003
Sunk in oil
The Tasman Spirit could have been saved from sinking, and Karachi from paying a heavy environmental toll, but the authorities failed to be proactive, writes Shahid Shah
A few years before the hundredth death anniversary of the Titanic, another ship has met a similar fate. But this time it was not an iceberg that caused it to sink, but the ship’s old age, human error that led to its grounding, and sheer neglect that finally resulted in it meeting the same fate as the Titanic.
The Titanic was stranded in the twentieth century in an icy continent, where no timely help was available, and it took only a few hours for her to sink. On the other hand, Tasman Spirit, the Greek ship at Karachi’s coastal area — was stranded for 17 days in an age when the latest technological help could have been availed of.
Although there were no human casualties this time round, marine life suffered and will continue to do so for a long time to come. There may not have been a love story to rival that of Jack and Rose, (as seen in the Hollywood blockbuster), but there must have been thousands of fish and turtles that died without saying their last goodbyes.
Tasman Spirit was grounded in the coastal waters of Sindh on July 27, but none of the authorities seemed to take any serious notice of it. Thousands of tons of crude oil spilled into the sea, which caused the deaths of marine life that had nowhere to escape, with no rescue in sight.
Karachiites, who had just suffered the monsoon disaster, were once again victims of the unforgivable negligence of the civic agencies. The ship met its unfortunate fate on August 14, when the environment department and the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) officials suddenly woke up from a deep slumber of 17 days; but it was too late the ship had already started sinking and breaking.
No consideration was given to the impact of the ecological disaster on the lives of peoples, and the economy. Mohammad Ali Shah, chairman of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, has been struggling for the rights of the fisherfolk community for a long time, and this time his voice, and the voices of other environment friends, has drowned under the cries of the dying marine life.
“If the fine of $200,000 is given to the authorities by the Greek government, it will go into the pockets of the officers,” says a social worker, “This has been the third largest disaster that the lower part of Sindh has witnessed since the cyclone of 1998, and this time it is going to be extremely difficult for the coastal environment to recover from all this environmental and ecological devastation.”
Government officials, out of desperation and to save face, are now making claims that since this is light crude oil it will not be so harmful for the environment. However, the inaccuracy of all such claims is exposed when a person takes one look at the beach, now the burial ground for countless dead fish.
Moreover, the pungent air makes life difficult for residents. Karachiites have been deprived of the one source of entertainment that has been their pride and joy as their beach is no longer safe to visit. “None of the officials seem to be serious regarding this catastrophe,” says a social worker. “There will be an acute shortage of fish in the local market as the new born fish have died. Furthermore, the city will be affected by a high tide because of the removal of the mangroves forests that have protected the city, which lie under sea-level.”
Similar to the ancient automobiles in the city, coastal waters have witnessed older ships in their high waters. “It is a known fact that no ship older than 10 years of age is allowed to enter into the premises of the Karachi harbour, but the Greek ship was about 27 years old. Why was proper approval not taken for its entry? Its old age also contributed to the cause of the incident,” says Zubaida Bhirwani, focal person, Pakistan Network for River, Dams, and People (PNRDP) Sindh.
Meanwhile, civic agencies are adopting different measures to clean up the coastal waters from the poisonous oil. “Aerial spray of chemicals over the sea to clean up the water will prove dangerous for human life should they enter the sea, not to mention the disastrous effects it will have on marine life,” observes a doctor.
“When there is no water, it is Sindh that suffers, and when there is enough water it is Sindh again that suffers. If there is a natural disaster this is also endured by the province. Why do the people of Sindh have to be the victims of all this misery?” asks Manzoor Chandio, a Karachi-based journalist.
Who will be held responsible for this catastrophe: the Greek ship-owner or the local civic agencies? Will the beach really be cleaned up when the citizens of Karachi still have sewerage water flowing on the roads, and in the streets after the recent monsoon rains? Surely the oil spills will be a greater challenge for the civic agencies.
What was the reason behind the negligence of the civic machinery? Was no rescue facility available for the operation? Or were the officials deliberately sitting back and watching an oil cargo ship sink before their eyes? These and many other questions remain unanswered, but there is no denying that all this death, destruction, and damage need not have happened.
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