KARACHI, July 29: Despite a flow of about 80 per cent of the world’s oil from the Gulf through Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, there is no contingency plan in the country to combat oil spill near the coast or in deep sea.
The movement of oil tankers, cleaning of ships’ bilges and cycling of ballast tanks by a large number of merchant vessels and oil tankers pose a serious threat but the ports and other agencies concerned are inadequately equipped to control oil spills in their areas.
Preparation of a contingency plan to counter oil spills is a legal requirement for all nations, especially those falling near the traffic routes, under the 1982 United Nations Convention on Laws of Seas.
Under the agreement, countries need to form a ‘regional plan’ in coordination with other states, after their own contingency plans are finalized, to control a large oil sleek that might effect more than one country or is difficult to handle for it.
Movement of ships and oil near Pakistan’s coasts is expected to increase after the completion of the Gwadar port, when industrial, and consumer goods and oil supply to and from the north of the country will be handled, increasing the chances of accidents.
The maximum threat of accidents to ships is in the rough rainy season of monsoon and any spill will have a disastrous effect on the coastal areas, including the marine life and mangroves.
A plan in this regard was prepared by the Maritime Security Agency in 2000, but it is held up with the environment ministry.
The only serious meeting over the issue was presided over by former environment minister Barrister Shahida Jameel but she left the decision to the elected government. The plan has named 27 stakeholders that have to be activated in case of any serious oil spill, including the Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim, oil companies, petroleum refineries, the environment protection agencies and some district governments.
According to the plan, Pakistan needs $5 million worth of equipment, a pollution control vessel that costs about $20 million and $10 million for training and procurement of chemicals like dispersents, that create breathing gap at the sleek carpet of oil over the sea.—PPI