KARACHI, Aug 25: On the invitation of administrator, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Brig Maqsood Hussain, a team of students and engineers from the NED University of Engineering and Technology visited the Sea View beach on Monday to assess the intensity of oil pollution and to determine the extent of damage caused to the shore.

The NED team comprised senior students, doing masters in environmental engineering and included civil, mechanical, chemical and petroleum engineers.

The team spent a busy day on the beach and conducted survey of the coastal line to determine the concentration of the oil contents in the seawater, reaching the shore, and the extent of air pollution in the effected area, reportedly causing skin, eye and respiratory diseases.

The team also measured the level of oil seepage in beach’s sand.

The team took samples of seawater and contaminated sand from various points on the beach for lab tests. The team also met some of the affected Sea View residents to assess the reported negative effects caused to human health due to the spillage.

Speaking on the occasion, Brig Hussain reiterated that the DHA was making concerted efforts to combat the environmental catastrophe caused due to the huge oil spill in the sea.

He said that his organization had invited NED experts to seek their objective evaluation of the situation and to recommend measures to the DHA to combat the effects of the disaster.

Mrs Ghazala Aftab, DHA’s environmental engineer, assisted the team in their study.—PPI