KARACHI: Traces of an oil slick were found in a large area of Hawkesbay and Sandspit beaches on Tuesday, causing concern among experts.

Information gathered from different sources indicated that the oil slick was first spotted near the Churna Island from where it travelled to Hawkesbay and Sandspit.

According to sources, an aerial surveillance was also carried out by the Maritime Security Agency (MSA), which showed that the oil slick covered less than a mile area and its depth towards the sea was not more than 2,500 yards.

The MSA officials, however, expressed their ignorance about any such incident and said there was no such report from anywhere.

“Most of the oil slick has been cleaned up by high wave action continuing due to the monsoon season. A few days ago, it was so intense that it was difficult for picnickers to come out on the beach. The whole place was stinking with its foul smell,” a lifeguard told Dawn during a visit to Sandspit.

Upon contact, experts representing the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) confirmed that an oil slick had affected the beaches, though much of it was in its last stages of natural biodegradation.

“Our team visited the beaches and found the oil slick traces over an area of 2km to 3km, which is a pretty large area and should raise concern,” said Saira Ishaq, a senior research officer at the NIO.

The concentration of oil deposits, she said, was not high and that the Hawkesbay beach was found to be affected more than that of Sandspit. “I have never seen these areas affected by an oil slick before and we were also wondering about its source; whether it’s the result of an accident in the open sea or intentional dumping of fuel in the offshore waters.”

The NIO team couldn’t spot remains of any marine species that could have possibly died or got affected by the oil slick. It has, however, collected samples from the affected sites for detailed analysis.

Mohammad Moazzam Khan, who works as technical adviser on marine fisheries with the WWF-P, said his team had also informed him about the oil slick.

“The oil slick seems to have lost its toxicity and much of its compounds have evaporated. The information we have gathered from the site reveals that the oil slick is in its last stages of biodegradation and there is nothing to be worried about,” he said and called for oil fingerprinting, a method which helps track oil spill source.

According to him, the turtle nesting sites are completely safe from the oil slick. “Besides, it’s not their nesting season. There is no need for an operation to remove the oil slick because it would clear up naturally in the coming days,” he said.

Mr Khan was of the opinion that action should have been taken by the relevant agencies when the oil slick was spotted near the Churna Island.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2017