KARACHI, Aug 23: The University of Karachi has started preparation of a chemical substance, a binding agent, which will stop evaporation of volatile aromatic components of crude oil, spilled into seawater from Greek-registered tanker MT Tasman Spirit.

“The said chemical will also bind the oil, spread over surface of sea, helping authorities to remove it effectively,” KU Vice-Chancellor Dr Zafar Saeed Saify told the PPI during his visit to affected coastal belt on Saturday.

“We have taken the initiative at our own and the chairman, Higher Education Commission, Dr Attaur Rehman, is directly supervising the research activities,” Dr Saify informed and added that the HEC had assured complete financial support to varsity in this regard.

The KU VC said that the people should not be panicked due to oil spill as authorities and experts from the varsity had started their work to cope with the situation. Scientists and experts from all related fields had been included in the committee, which was working on the rehabilitation of the city coastline, he assured.

To a question, the VC further assured that findings and recommendations of the committee, formed by the varsity, would be made public as they believed that the people should know the extent of damage caused due to the spill and measures they should adopt to save their environment.

“Scientists and experts at University of Karachi are not less competent than foreign experts and we would like government to involve us in the rehabilitation process instead of inviting experts from foreign countries and spending heavy national resources,” he maintained.

“Groups of students from various KU departments would be formed within few days, which would start monitoring the affects of oil spill on mangroves, fish, sand and seawater”, he added.

Earlier, the team of KU researchers visited the affected coastal belt at various points and collected relevant samples.—PPI