Call to Action for Oil Spill

Najam Sethi`s editorial in The Friday Times:

Hold Them Accoutable

IT IS NOW NEARLY ONE MONTH SINCE the oil tanker Tasman Spirit ran aground in one of the harbour channels of Karachi port and began to spill oil, slowly poisoning the marine environment and making human life uncomfortable for inhabitants in its range. In any civilised country, the government of the day would have moved heaven and earth to contain the environmental damage, salvage the oil, investigate and fix responsibility, obtain damages and compensate those adversely affected by the disaster. But not in Pakistan. In fact, the two institutions at the core of the debate, the KPT and PNSP, have not even bothered to tell us the gist of their investigations, let alone take any responsibility for the incident. And the Pakistan Navy, which is supposed to rule the waves of Karachi?s shorelines, has been strangely silent all this while. It is as though the PN has decided to stay clear of this mess instead of getting its hands soiled and risking censure. This is, to say the least, behaviour unbecoming of a national security institution ? after all, when the Pakistan army gets involved in flood relief or disaster work, it jumps in and does what it can for its citizens instead of pointing the finger at errant or negligent civilian institutions and staying clear of them.

By now several questions have been raised. The vessel contracted by the PNSC is said to be at least 25 years old. Is that within acceptable seaworthy age limits? Was the vessel being navigated from the channel to the berth at high tide as required for a tanker of its size or was it brought in at the middle of the ebb tide when the chances of running aground were higher, especially if that channel hadn?t been dredged as required from time to time? Is the technical and professional staff at the KPT trained to cope with such cases or is the KPT a sinecure for Pakistan Navy personnel who have missed promotion and been shunted to cushy jobs in the civilian bureaucracy? If there weren?t a sufficient number of adequate tugs from the Pak Navy at hand to tug the tanker to safety, why wasn?t an SOS sent for help from Dubai?

There are also many issues related to the oil spill. How many metric tonnes have already spilt into the sea? How many metric tonnes have been salvaged into other tankers? How many are still in the hold of Tasman Spirit? Will these be salvaged or not? What concrete steps are being taken to make sure that the oil is neutralised? Why weren?t ?floating walls? (with rope, canvas sheets, floats, bamboo sticks and weights, etc) built as soon as possible after the oil spill in order to contain it? Why did the KPT wait until August 7 ? a full ten days after the ship ran aground on July 27 ? to order the transfer of the oil to Pak Navy ships? If local experts were either not sufficiently trustworthy or not available, why did it take the KPT weeks to fly in the foreign experts?

A couple of high-ranking officials and one minister have been making clucking noises about the relief effort underway. But frankly speaking, it has all been rather pathetic. We imagined that General Pervez Musharraf or Mr Zafarullah Jamali might have taken the trouble to go to Karachi and lend their personal and federal shoulder to the job. But that didn?t happen, suggesting they have more important things to do with their precious time than to waste it on an unprecedented ecological disaster such as this one. How sad. Worse, piddling sums are being mentioned in connection with the damages to be sought from the owners and/or insurers of Tasman Spirit when the cost of the salvage operation to the government is going to be many times these amounts, forget about the untold loss to marine life in the area. Most surprising of all, some press accounts of what went wrong and who is responsible skirted the real issues and didn?t enlighten us about the nature and scope of the disaster. Similarly, the dismal response of PTV and Pakistan Radio is worth noting. Why weren?t their reporters on the job telling Karachiites the latest news on the operations at sea? Why weren?t they issuing news bulletins telling citizens how to cope with the situation in their areas?

There are lessons in this disaster for many people and institutions. But whether these will be learnt or not remains to be seen. Fortunately, however, some prominent people of Karachi have spoken out, and others have even got together and approached the courts to redress their grievances against the government and the state. This is a good sign, even if nothing concrete comes of it. If more citizens were at least prepared to stick their necks out and cry ?murder? when their rights are trampled upon or they are victims of government negligence or incompetence, the unaccountable institutions of the state would wake up to their responsibilities and put their houses in order. That is why we cannot afford to let them off the hook this time round.

from Sunday`s (Aug 24) Dawn:

EDITORIAL

Oil spill again



This has now happened a second time this month: the Tasman Spirit is prolifically leaking its oil again, proving the government agencies wrong. Bad weather and stormy seas predicted for the next few days will obviously make salvage operations even more difficult, making it certain that the ship`s remaining cargo of 20,000 tonnes of oil will empty into the sea. This will add to the miseries of those citizens who have still not recovered from the effects of the spill earlier this month. All commercial activity in the area has come to a halt, and the beach is no more a place fit for picnicking and a bit of fresh air. One does not know for how long the Clifton beach will remain closed to the public. But one thing is obvious: the KPT and other government departments have not learnt any lessons from the oil leakage disaster earlier this month.

Foreign experts have been called in for help in the clean-up process, but their presence seems to be having no effect on the situation. Perhaps, this results from the fact that the Pakistani authorities never had a contingency plan of their own and because the foreign experts are suggesting environment-friendly measures for disposing of the contaminated sand and dead marine animals. Many of our NGOs, too, seem to have a lot of academic knowledge about environmental degradation, and a penchant for holding seminars, but have no practical knowledge or experience of dealing with such disasters. The dispute between the Defence Housing Authority and the city government over where to dispose of the contaminated sand and dead fish needs to be sorted out. The government has instituted an inquiry into the oil spill but some have questioned its independence given that it is made up of officials serving in organizations whose performance the inquiry will seek to investigate. One wonders whether heads will roll and the government will break from tradition and release to the public the findings of the inquiry.

re: Shandana

The first damage assessment is always optimistic. The real costs will be revealed in the years to come, but enough damage has been caused to the ecosystem and the marine life, that one only hopes that the worst is over. In reality, the worst is yet to come.

The Karachi oil spill disaster pales into insignificance, when compared to the lack of response from the government and that, in itself, is the real disaster. You, and I and we, Pakistanis, can forget about the committees formed to investigate this disaster, because this is the begining of the offical cover up. A committee and the reason a committee is formed is due to one basic idea: to create the impression of an action, but the committee will prolong the issue and hope that life over takes concern and interest fades over a period of time.

Your ideas are correct - go to Geo! Keep the pressure and let us keep this issue/concern from fading in the public eye. Writing letters is good, but what is even better is calling the people from Sindh government or Karachi Port Trust to appear on Geo and ask them questions!

Ciao

re: #25 by trinity
The cola issue has not gone away yet. Read the following:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/stories/2003082205650100.htm
Sridhar

In Pakistan a major oil disaster takes place and the government’s response is to under play it. In India a public health uproar takes place concerning bottled water drinks and the government is quick in clearing the revenue generating companies of any wrong doing.

These incidents should be taken as a wake up call for the people of the region to hold their governments responsible. The next time it maybe a nuclear disaster/leakages/accidents and the governments response may be no different.

The individual problems of India & Pakistan maybe quite different but these are now nuclear powers and growing in their arsenal by the day. The citizens of South Asia should continue voicing their opinions louder and longer and join hands to gradually build a mass movement – that is the only possibility for change.

Keep it up Shandana and all others.

semipreciousme #23 These are the first pictures I have seen of the oil spill. The accompanying WWF article also indicates the threat to sea turtles that breed in this area and to dolphins. This is in addition to the other destruction caused by the spill as shown by Shandana. This is indeed a real tragedy.

...for more info: http://www.wwfpak.org/news.htm...the pictures are very depressing...god knows how long the ppl of khi will have to live with this...

Shandana #18 and #19: Thanks for two very informative posts on the subject I read #18 and most of #19 just now, and will read the rest later). The Fishermen`s Forum has done a good job at preliminary assessment of the disaster. It is indeed a multifaceted problem, with 2 million fishermen and vast numbers of marine life being those directly affected. It is indeed heartening to see that a good deal of nongovernmental efforts (fishermen`s forum, concerned individuals) are being made to understand and address the problem. I agree that as expatriates, we can also help by contributing. While the overall disaster does require concerted government and nongovernment effort, I think there is plenty of room for individuals to contribute: either through money, or (if one lives in karachi) in physical clean-up of the beaches: a messy job involving literally cleaning individual rocks and saving individual birds rendered flightless by their oil-soaked wings. Maybe PM (ref. post #17) who I think is karachi will give some thought to these options. While the overall effort has to be organized, I think tainted #16 will see that clean-up of beaches is not a high tech job (even in advanced countries): it requires plenty of manpower (volunteers), properly organized. And of course, the fishermen face starvation and the fund established for them needs to be looked into to make sure it is properly managed, and I have no doubt people will open their hearts and purses.

Hats off to you for your interest and efforts. It certainly goes a long way beyond writing letters to the editor (or putting complaints in the complaint box of government officials which is as good as writing a letter to an address on the other side of the moon).

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view this users filtered interacts

I am not aware if you have a ``Right to Information Act`` or something like that in Pakistan, but I can presume the following happened:-

a) Dredging of the approach channel into Karachi Port would involve Government owned dredgers going about their job and reporting back the true depths achieved . . . or on the basis of cubic feet/metres of dredged material removed and channel deepened for private dredging companies (viva privatisation!!).

b) Over the years, the channel would become shallower as well as narrower than what the charts show.

c) Tracking down the background of the Tasman Spirit makes for interesting reading.

d) Effects of ``squat`` on older tankers navigatin in shallow waters would reduce the margin allowed by the Pilot/Master.

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On the subject of double hull tankers, it wouldn`t have helped much in a case like this where the breakup seems to have been caused more by structural issues following evacuation of some of the tanks by accident (initially) or by error (subsequently). Imagine a situation where the amidships tanks were emptied on an old ship when even a brand new ship would break it`s back like a spine snapping. Likewise, the potential problem caused by progressive flooding as well as part floatation part resting on bottom would require more than this PC to solve.

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the text in my last interact came from an email list organized by a local filmmaker who is keeping people updated on whats going on, am pasting the bit below to answer pats query...

``P.P.S. the following just came in… (these people seem to have their act together!)



From the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum:



Oil Disaster at Karachi Coast: A Quick Assessment

Background
Tasman Spirit, a Greek registered oil ship carrying 67,000 metric ton crude oil was cracked at its bottom on the August 12 causing oil spillage into the Arabian sea and had threatened marine ecology as well as hit the livelihood of around 0.3 million fisher people living near the Karachi coast. But, since the oil spillage has been increasing and leading towards district Thatta’s Hajamro Creek, which may affect the livelihood of other 0.5 million fisher people. Pakistan has total of 1,050 kilometer long coast in which Sindh has 350 kilometer
shoreline. Looking to recent oil disaster it has affected 30 kilometers of Karachi coast from Abdul Rehman village in Hawks Bay, Keamari Town to Latbasti in Bin Qasim Town jurisdiction. These communities have been fully dependent on the fish catch through centuries. The government agencies instantly had declared ban over fishing boats operation around the Karachi coasts and law enforcement agencies have been deployed at different coastal areas to implement the official orders. The entire seawater has been turned into black water causing widely destruction of fish and marine ecology instantly. Even now the advisor to Sindh Chief Minister is
reviewing a proposal to declare ban on fish catch for three months period. While looking to the current state of affairs the local fishermen believe that the situation may take 5 year or more time for cleaning the seawater. However, the fishermen will face two type of losses one destruction of
eco system and the secondly they will loss fish species in the sea which is their main source of livelihood. Fishermen said their fishing boats and nets have been destroyed and especially they are unable to use fishing nets again. They said these nets have become polluted. However, the situation is highly dangerous which may cause an
‘unemployment disaster’ in the country in case of more than two million people
engaged in fish sector will be turned into jobless due to increasing
of oil spillage.

Experts View
Experts said it was normal maneuver on a normal day. A KPT licensed pilot was in charge on board. The ship’s engine was running normally and deep drafted vessels were entering and leaving the harbor routinely. No shallow patches were reported in the main channel prior to the tanker’s entry. Therefore, there was no reason for the grounding. The Tasman Spirit enter the channel on top of high water or within an hour of it to get the maximum advantage of the height of tide. The datum, that is the minimum depth available at any time of day or night, in this section of the channel was 12.2 meters. The height of high water was 2.8 meters. This gave a total
of 15 meters depth of water, ample for safe navigation of the tanker. When all
elements are in place for safe passage of the channel, grounding of the vessel is not acceptable. The oil tanker ran aground in the harbor channel on Saturday, July 27,
at about 1pm with a KPT pilot on board. It is two weeks since the grounding of
the tanker but the information regarding the situation leading up to the grounding is very sketchy. In the meantime hundreds of tons of oil had been spilled and have made their way on to the clean beaches of Clifton. The experts believe that the concerned ship company and KPT are the responsible of this disaster and they have to pay cost of devastation. It may be mentioned here that Pakistan is signatory to the International Conventions ‘MARPOL’ on oil spills and pollution.

Livelihood
The total damage to marine life and the environment cannot be easily ascertained but would probably be near disaster proportions. The oil disaster may affect 2 million fisher people directly as the
catch is banned and the people were forced to stay away from the seawater. Those unaware of this tragedy had already gone into the open sea for a catch along with ration and essential items with the cost of Rs. 0.3 million are facing blow as the people have been told not to eat fish. However, the seafood is
not eatable. It has been declared poisonous. Thousands of fisher people depend on daily catch would face starvation-like situation soon. Several fishermen affected of this oil disaster are pouring into the office of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, a major organization fighting for the cause of the fisher people, saying their families have no sufficient food for eating and they need support for their survival. Its hardly one week of the incident and the oil spillage is increasing towards other coastal areas,
killing fish and destroying
fishing grounds and the eco system. These traditional fishermen were remained ineffective for two months June and July due to weather conditions and breeding season of the fish species. When they prepared to resume their fishing activities in the end of July, the monsoon season created problems for them and in the meantime the government had warned them to stay away at shores as the Metrological department predicted of cyclone. The fishermen again stayed
ineffective for few days and recent oil disaster has played havoc with them. There is
completely uncertainty for the fishing community because their bowl of the livelihood has been turned into poisonous.

Wildlife
Almost all the waterfowl species are affected by the oil film that is formed on the sea surface, when they dip to catch a fish and their wings are soaked with oil, rendered unable to fly, they die a slowly death. The oil washes off the waterproof coating of waterfowl leaving them at a high risk of hypothermia, which is one of the main causes of their death. Oil also passes through eggshells killing the embryo. It damages the eyes of aquatic mammals and turtles.

Disaster of Marine Ecology
Now it is fact that the spill will have a long-term effect on environment, as the
crude oil comprises many toxic compounds and hazardous gases in dissolved forms that have carcinogenic qualities and will affect human beings, marine life and environment. The ill-fated ship was thirty-year old and the environmentalists
criticized the KPT’s handling of the disaster and they questioned the port authorities
decision to allow the aging vessel to enter the port. The people believe that the KPT is unknown for its environment-friendly policies. The dredging of mangroves next to the Mai Kolachi Bypass to build its housing colony for staff is already a cause for concern as it kills the lungs that the city so desperately need and drives away the sea life that comes as part of the mangroves. “What needs to be seen is, which of
these gifts of the KPT will cause
more damage to Karachi’s environment.

Mangroves
Mangroves are the breeding grounds and nurseries of commercially important species like prawns, shrimps and crabs etc, and damage to mangroves would
resulting decreased production of these marine food species. Similarly, the
breeding season of many marine life species has just ended and that of some
others is still continuing, so juvenile marine life and the eggs of the others will be seriously harmed due to the oil spill and will die immediately. After the two oil spills near the Port Qasim area a few years back mangrove forests in a vast area were badly affected. However, this oil disaster may destroy the mangrove forests and it will be dangerous for the future course. It is pertaining to note that the government being unaware of the side effects of chemical is using chemical to remove the oil spillage affects, which may destroy the entire marine life and create other problems.

Health
Populace of fishermen localities situated at islands near the site of disaster is facing more problems
as they are at surface of the disaster. A large number of the people have complained about asthma, hypertension, eyesore and throat infection because of the stench. However, the government’s health department officials despite claims could not visit the affected localities to provide basic healthcare facilities to the
fishermen. The people need immediate first aid to save them from health hazardous.

Government Role
Government has proved itself incapable, unprepared to tackle the matter of oil spillage successfully. It has no modern equipments to meet the challenge of flood, fire, cyclone, earthquakes. That is why the recent oil disaster has played
havoc with the 2-million fisher people who have been fully dependent on fishing as well as destroyed the eco system. It has also been observed that the government is unprepared to provide relief to the victim communities of any disaster-like situation instantly and in the present situation too it has been failed to provide relief to the victims. The government, like past experiences has ordered complete inquiry into the
matter that will prove nothing to share the country people. Probably all the concerned government officials including federal minister for communication, Chairman KPT, Sindh advisor for environment claimed that they have controlled the oil seepage and there will be no further damage to environment and as well as shipping activities. The ministry has constituted a four-member committee to probe into the matter.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum’s Action
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, being a major representative organization of the
fisher people of Pakistan had sent different teams to conduct a complete survey of the villages of the fishermen. The survey is still going on and we are gathering possible information through face-to-face interviews of the community people, boat’s crewmembers and the concerned experts
to understand the situation. We are doing our best to collect information and causes and effects of the disaster. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum has started a campaign, addressing press conferences, holding protest demonstration against the oil disaster. Apart from this the PFF is trying to develop a consensus among the like-minded NGOs, government and other society people who are working on the environment, and disasters. It is up to government how it will manage to bring a modern technology from internationally developed country for sucking oil and keeping the sea clean. In fact looking to prevailing conditions it is difficult for the government of Pakistan to arrange this and meet the situation.

Emergency Plan
*A board comprises government, fishermen representatives, NGOs, KPT should
be formed to make a comprehensive survey of losses to ecology as well as the
livelihood resources of the fisher people and in the light of survey the government should initiate compensation for the rehabilitation of ecology and vanished livelihood of the fishing community.

*Since the three consecutive months fishermen have been ineffective due to rough climate and breeding season of the fish species and now the families are facing starvation-like situation.
In this situation they need emergency relief, food, clean water and other essential items on urgent bases for their family survival.

*After the breaking news of this oil disaster several countries including European Union, United States, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Singapore and Gulf States, which export Pakistani seafood may become conscious and impose restrictions over the Pakistani seafood export. If it happened it will hit the livelihood of the fishing community and the government will face loss of Rs. 8 billion, which it earns through the seafood export annually.

*Fishing nets which were harvested before the incident have been destroyed by oil spillage and the
fishermen said they cannot use fishing nets again as these nets have become polluted. They should be provided fishing nets.

* Government intends to ban on fishing boats operation into the sea for three months and it would effect the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. More than 0.2 million fishermen, depend on daily catch, have been turned into jobless and they need immediate relief or an alternate of their traditional occupation.

*1,000 fisher people who had been engaged in fishing at the shorelines for long were forced to stay at home as they have become the worst victims of the oil disaster. They used to earn their livelihood through daily catch and in the disaster they have lost
their livelihood. They need urgent relief on the emergency bases..

*People living in coastal localities have become restless due to increasing stench of the oil spillage and they may be forced to vacate their ancestral homes as the people of the posh localities of the city have already started vacating their residences due to this problem. In this situation protective measurements should be taken for their health care.

*Job of 3,000 fishermen who run their boats for transport between Keamari to
Baba, Bhit and Manora and from Shamspir to Unisbad is at stake as the government intends to ban their activities. If the
government will ban or the situation forces them to stay away from the sea they will also face unemployment as majority people are working on boats on daily wages. These transport boat workers should be paid compensation of their livelihood losses.

*Small boat owners invest amount ranging Rs.0.5 million to Rs.2 million to build as boat and if these boats will be turned ineffective due to disaster for few months they will face more losses, which they cannot afford. They need proper attention of the government to give a hand them.

*Medical teams should be sent to different localities to provide health care facilities as the government agencies have been quoted as saying that diseases like
throat infection, eyesore, skin disease, allergy, suffocation and other problems are increasing among the people living near the affected shoreline.

*Mangroves being the breeding grounds of commercially important species like
prawns, shrimps and crabs may be destroyed by oil spillage and in result production of these marine food species would be decreased. Hence, preventive measurements should be taken to save these woodlands of the sea.


Effected Villages Population
1.Baba 15,000
2.Bhit 12,000
3.Shamspir 4,500
4.Unisabad 6,000
5.Kaka Village 10,000
6.Salihabad 5,500
7.Abdul Rehman Village 10,000
8.Keamari 20,000
9.Ibrahim Hyderi 100,000
10.Chashma Village 10,000
11.Rehri
35,000
12.Lat Basti 10,000
13.Fishermen village in Gizri 5,000

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Total Population 243,000

anyone got any idea as to how we might best help the fisherfolks affected the most aversely? Is there any action committe already formed that anyone knows about?

tahmed,

you know everyone has different things to contribute to a solution, for an expatraite or the elderly or someone housebound cleaning the beach isn`t possible. various individuals and organizations are working together in a multi pronged approach to levy pressue, what is needed is for everyone who wishes to be represented to make an active effort to do so in whatever small way they can. `we should do this instead` simply saps energy. choose the way that is most appealing to you and let others pick their own road.

Ahmed Jamal in the UK and Ambareen Thompson who is in Thailand right now have both offered to purchase and bring some nose and mouth masks. (Meanwhile Manizhe Ali has let me know that they are also available at Khori Garden, which is behind Denso Hall.) I don’t know what our local ones would be compared to standard international ones, so if it isn’t a problem do bring some back with you, Ambareen. Perhaps we could run a message on Geo announcing that residents of Sea View and other close to shore areas that are asthmatic or suffering from breathing problems can pick a mask up from Shehri or some other relevant NGO, free of cost… We could also use a couple for a public service announcement we will try to air.



Aamina Sheikh, who is directing a children’s program on Geo, will be dedicating the entire next episode to the oil spill and the importance of a clean and healthy eco-system. Tehmina Ahmed from Newsline has told me they are doing an in depth piece on the spill this coming month. And apparently Sherry Rehman has also filed a lawsuit against the government. (The more the merrier!)



Irfan Khan has sent this link for up to date international news coverage on the spill: http://news.google.com/news?q=karachi+oil+spill&scoring=d



(Sarim, there may be some pics in the articles here. It’s risky business, taking photos of the spill! Umber Alibhai from Shehri told me their photographer has been suffering from nausea ever since he took some, and even had to undergo an ECG yesterday to make sure the effects of exposure hadn’t been too serious.)



Aisha Gazdar suggests that we show up in large numbers during court hearings of
the petitions which have already been filed as it would put pressure on the KPT, govt., etc. (Anyone have information on days and times so we can circulate the information?)

For those of you who want to write in to the newspapers, here are some addresses Shandana has forwarded:

letters@dailytimes.com.pk

letters@dawn.com

vf@jang.com.pk (net editor)

tft@dailytimes.com.pk



For official contacts, she says look under www.pak.gov.pk and www.karachiciti.gov, which I will get around to soon…



Umber Alibhai has also confirmed that Shehri are seeking donations to proceed with their lawsuit. Costs of proceeding will be close to Rs. 50,000/-, so even donations of Rs. 500 – 2000/- would help… whatever people can give. For more information you can reach her at 021-4530646 (Shehri office) and 0300-8209296.

Following are two very pertinent pieces from our own experts at a seminar held at Karachi University. (Thank you, Beena, for sharing) These are people to keep in mind to get involved, because I think our government’s habit of calling in outside experts is also just another way of keeping the lid on the real situation…


I

Karachi, Aug. 20 (PPI): Environmental geologists and microbiologists at a seminar on Wednesday urged government to
involve local scientists, especially microbiologists and environmental geologists in oil-slick operations and use oil-hungry bacteria to degrade and consume crude oil in the sea from Greek-registered oil tanker MT Tasman Spirit. They also expressed the apprehension that naturally occurring bacteria may take decades to break hydrocarbon components of crude oil besides other deadly compounds including phenol, which is highly toxic and cancer causing. They further stressed the need for introducing communities of environmental-friendly laboratory grown modified locally found bacteria for removing oil from the sea. The seminar on ``Management of oil spills through micro-organisms`` was organised by Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi in collaboration with Pakistan Society for Microbiology at Microbiology Department’s auditorium.

Experts further called for avoiding usage of genetically modified bacteria for removing crude oil from the sea, saying owing to lack of monitoring it could be highly dangerous as genetically modified bacteria may produce other deadly components by utilising hydrocarbons.

They termed efforts for the dispersion of crude oil spilled from the oil tanker as ``insufficient`` and called for adopting multidimensional steps and efforts for removing high concentration of oil from the sea and urged government
to take variety of methods in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, Environmental Geologist Dr. Viqar Hussain informed in detail the chemical composition of the crude oil and expressed fears that if all out efforts were not initiated it would become national disaster.

Terming the spill of over 19000 tons of crude into the sea as environmental catastrophe, he maintained that owing to high concentration of bacteria become ineffective and cannot start consuming hydrocarbons as food and breaking it into lighter and unharmed chemicals.

``The
presence of crude in a large quantity restricts sunlight and oxygen to enter into the water and disturbing all the natural processes being carried out in the sea water. There is need for using multidimensional mechanical and biological methods to remove oil from the sea``, he said and added that even then it would take years to rehabilitate our coastal area and sea. He also mentioned the oil spill at Alaska and various other ports around the globe and informed in detail how concerned authorities effectively removed oil by involving experts and scientists from all over the world. Another scientist, Dr. Pirzada Jamal Siddiqui informed that although the oil has not spread in a large area but after the use of dispersants, it would settle down and start contaminating and destroying marine eco-system.

He declared dispersion as a costly method to remove oil from the sea and feared that it would take years and millions of rupees to bring our coast and waters back in the shape prior to oil slick. Microbiologist Dr. Tasneem Adam Ali alleged that authorities were not presenting the actual picture and hiding the facts regarding oil spill and added that local scientists and experts should be invited to ascertain the extent of damage and suggest rehabilitation activities. She was of the view that although only bacteria degrade oil into light components by using them as their food, it would be difficult for naturally occurring bacteria to consume high concentration of crude oil. ``We must isolate environment-friendly micro organisms from our own environment and grow/modify them in labs so that they could start degrading large quantity of crude oil``, she said and maintained that
various types, species and communities of bacteria would do the degradation more easily. She also stressed the need for applying other mechanical methods including sweeping of oil from the sea as according to her, degradation process varies in nature and can result in production of
some harmful compounds which may cause serious environmental hazards.

Director, Centre for Molecular Genetics (CMG) KU Dr. Nuzhat Ahmed informed that researchers at her centre were already working on locally isolated environment-friendly bacteria for oil and phenol degradation. ``I believe that if our scientists and researchers are entrusted with the task and asked to initiate oil-removing operation, we can easily manage it``, she said adding
that it would take time but would save the local population, environment and marine life besides saving lot of financial resources. She mentioned the efforts of Kuwaiti government in removing oil spilled during first Gulf war by using micro organisms and informed that this can also easily be done by the Pakistani experts and scientists. ``The focal point is, efforts should be started as early as possible and local experts must be involved as foreign experts also approach them to get aware of the situation and techniques``, she
maintained. Chairperson, Department of Microbiology and noted microbiologist Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi in her address termed major oil spill at Karachi port as a wakeup call for local authorities and experts and urged the government to prepare a
contingency plan to deal with similar kinds of situations and disasters. She urged for involvement of relevant experts, usage of consortium of lab-modified local bacteria in oil-slick operation and initiate projects to deal with such situations in the future.

Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, an Industrial microbiologist also spoke on the occasion. A question-answer session and panel discussion followed the seminar.

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II

Karachi, Aug. 20 (PPI): The process of oil degradation may take several decades without the introduction of lab-cultured specially modified micro-organisms into the seawater affected by oil spill from Greek-registered oil tanker MT Tasman Spirit, experts fear.

In the meantime, highly toxic aromatic compounds in the crude oil will continue contaminating the air and under ground water in Karachi besides destroying marine eco-system. Currently authorities are spraying dispersants in order to break the layer of oil spilled from the stranded vessel into small drops, hoping it would immediately start the process of degrading by the marine bacteria. ``Even after the mixing of specially modified oil degrading bacteria into sea water, it will take at least a year for micro-organisms to degrade crude oil into simple water and carbon dioxide``, Dr. Nuzhat Ahmed, Director Centre for Molecular Genetics, University of Karachi informed PPI on Wednesday. ``What the authorities are trying is to settle down the crude oil by spraying dispersants during their anti-slick operation. In this way, all the oil will simply accumulate at the bottom of the sea, causing destruction for both marine life as well as health problems for Karachites``, she added. She said degrading micro-organisms occur naturally are in
such small quantity that they cannot immediately start consuming the oil and transforming it into water and carbon dioxide even after it has settled at the bottom of the sea. She said and added that in the natural way, low concentration of bacteria will take 50-60 years to break oil into simpler components. A team of scientists and researchers at the Centre for Molecular Genetics KU, monitoring the whole situation believe that without artificial introduction of specially modified bacteria, grown at lab under strict surveillance, oil spilled from the stranded ship will remain at the bottom of the sea for decades. An that case, the oxygen producing plants and algae, scientifically known as Phytoplankton may perish endangering fish, shrimps, crabs and all other marine organisms and added that whole marine eco-system will be badly disturbed.

``What we have learnt from the first Gulf War, is that Kuwaiti authorities used lab-cultured genetically modified bacteria for getting rid of oil spilled in their soil and sea and the whole process of degradation and decay took at least a year``, Dr. Nuzhat Ahmed said and maintained that Kuwait had to spend millions of dollars to hire international firms for anti-slick operations. Fortunately, the scientists and microbiologists at CMG are already working on the modification of various species fossil oil and phenol degrading micro-organisms. ``We are already working on the preparation of Biosurfacantants, which degrade fossil oil in a natural and environment-friendly manner``, Dr. Jamila, another researcher at CMG
informed. Researchers at CMG expressed confidence that if they are asked to take up the task of removing oil from the
effected areas of sea, and provided with required financial resources, they can easily manage the oil spillage by using environment-friendly technology.

``First the authorities approach foreign experts to take charge of removing oil, who will eventually approach local scientists for their assistance and guidance in this regard. Would it not be better for them to approach local scientists directly and use their expertise to prevent environmental catastrophe``, Dr. Jamila maintained.

On the other hand, genetics experts fear that if anti-slick operation is not started immediately, highly deadly aromatic compounds in the crude oil may start contaminating the air and under ground water in
Karachi, which may give rise to genetic disorders. ``Aromatic compounds in the crude oil including phenol are not only cancer-causing but they are major cause of genetic disorders among children. Studies prove that petroleum intoxication results in memory and stamina loss, nausea, muscle weakness and many other disorders, which cannot be treated” said Dr. Jamila.

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And, finally, here is an informative piece on the short and long term effects of oil in the sea that Shandana forwarded…



Crude oil in the sea



Crude oil is a complex mixture of chemicals, many of which are harmful to wildlife in various ways. Crude oil does not mix readily with water, and tends to float at the surface. Slicks can be transported over large distances by wind forces and tidal currents. Released oil changes with time. Volatile constituents progressively evaporate, leaving an increasingly viscous residue. Seawater may become incorporated into the oil to form a brown mousse. Wave action and microbial degradation are natural processes that can help to dissipate the oil. (From a site about the Prestige oil spill)





Effects of oil on birds:

Oil that sticks to fur or feathers, usually crude and bunker fuels, can cause many problems. Some of these problems are:



hypothermia in birds by reducing or destroying the insulation and waterproofing properties of their feathers;
birds become easy prey, as their feathers being matted by oil make them less able to fly away;
birds sink or drown because oiled feathers weigh more and their sticky feathers cannot trap enough air between them to keep them buoyant;
birds lose body weight as their metabolism tries to combat low body temperature;
marine mammals lose body weight when they can not feed due to contamination of their environment by oil;
birds become dehydrated and can starve as they give up or reduce drinking, diving and swimming to look for food;
damage to the insides of animals and birds bodies, for example by causing ulcers or bleeding in their stomachs if they ingest the oil by accident.


(from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority website)



A wide range of tools and techniques are used to clean oil spills. Mechanical containment or recovery is the biggest defense against oil-spill damage in the United States. Containment and recovery equipment includes a variety of booms, barriers and skimmers, as well as natural and synthetic materials that absorb oil. Mechanical containment is used to capture and store spilled oil until it can be disposed of properly.



Generally, the first step is to contain the oil so that it doesn’t spread more, said Brian Stanfield, executive vice president at Acme Products Co. in Tulsa, Okla., which specializes in oil spill cleanup. A common tool for containing oil is a boom, or a floating barrier. A boom, for example, may be placed around a leaking tanker to collect the oil. Stanfield said the goal is to increase the concentration of the oil in a smaller area so it can be collected easier.



A skimmer, which is a boat that skims spilled oil from the water surface, can then be brought in to collect the biggest part of the oil. Vacuum trucks often are used to vacuum oil from the water surface or beaches. Sorbents, big sponges that absorb oil, are particularly useful on oil sheens and thin slicks too scattered for skimming.

In-situ or “in-place” burning is a method of burning freshly spilled oil, usually while it’s floating on the water. Dispersants, chemicals that act as detergents to break oil into tiny droplets and dilute a spill’s effect, are commonly used as well.



Nature`s Cleaning: Microbes
Aside from all the chemicals and gadgets that humans have produced to clean up spills, nature has a way of cleaning itself. One of the most interesting techniques for cleaning spills involves speeding up a process that has been around since millions of years before man. Biodegradation is a natural process by which microbes alter and break down complex compounds into simpler substances to gain energy and nutrients. The resulting products can be carbon dioxide, water and simpler compounds that do not affect the environment.



However, the biodegradation process is relatively slow, and when an oil spill occurs, workers must act fast to protect the environment. Speeding up the process can be accomplished in two ways: adding fertilizing (nutrients) and/or seeding (adding more microbes). When technology is used to speed up the process, it is known as bioremediation. In recent years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that bioremediation is a safe and effective oil-removal option.



Oil isn’t the only substance tested for cleanup by microbes. Certain U.S. Army installations have tested the effectiveness of using microbes to remove explosive products deposited in soil after years of ammunition manufacturing and disposal. First the explosives-tainted soil is mixed with water and placed in a treatment container. The mixture is given regular doses of oxygen and a food source, which spur growth in microbes that already live in the soil. While “eating” the food, the microbes break down the explosives so the soil can be returned to its original site.



Even the most complex science can’t make up for the birds, animals and beaches that have been harmed by oil spills. That’s why prevention is being stressed more and more. The oil industry is coming up with safer ways to produce, transport and store oil. Safer vessel designs play a big role. Examples include double hulls, improved steering systems, improved radar detection systems, satellite and radio communication and computer monitoring of the vessel’s operations. Better aids for navigation systems also help reduce risks.



(from the Teaching Tools website)



Oil Spill Prevention
What can be done about catastrophic oil spills? Most important are measures to prevent them in the first place. The number of major oil spills around the world has been reduced since governments have begun to require that all new tankers be built with a double hull. Barely a year after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the U.S. passed the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990, requiring, among other things, that the oil industry take greater precautions against spills and prepare detailed emergency response plans for cleaning up spills that occur. Under the law, by 2015 all tankers operating in US waters must be double-hulled, so that if the outer hull is breached the inner hull will contain the fuel. The legislation has been effective; there have been fewer spills since 1989 (see timeline of oil spills). Another factor increasing tanker safety is improved navigation equipment such as global positioning systems. However, as with double hulled-ships, the technology works only when it is used.



International law, the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC), now mirrors the U.S. law. The U.S legislation, however, goes further in permitting punitive damages against tanker owners for spills. Enforcement remains a problem, though. The country in which the ship is registered is liable for the ship; the Prestige was operated by a Greek firm but registered in the Bahamas. It is not uncommon for tankers to fly ``flags of convenience,`` that is, to be registered in countries known to have lax safety or taxation requirements. Countries can restrict the use of their ports, however, to ships that cannot provide documentation that they have had a recent safety inspection.



Oil Spill Remediation
Much has been learned since the Valdez spill about how to clean up oil spills. For example, some of the cleaning methods after the Valdez spill caused additional damage. The high pressure, hot water washing of the rocky shore removed the sediments and nutrients that would have aided in recovery of the ecosystem. New technologies have been developed, including bioremediation, which uses microorganisms to break down the hydrocarbons into less harmful compounds. There is even bioremediation research underway using proteins from horse sweat.



To prevent widespread damage when spills occur, workers try to contain the spill using using absorbant barriers or boats that skim the oil off the water surface. See Phillips Petroleum`s ``Teaching Tools`` page for a basic explanation of oil spill containment. Another method is to burn off the oil in place, called in situ burning (See this report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for a discussion of this method.).



(from the Environmental Literacy website)





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Cleaning up the affected beach canot be done by untrained citizens-professionals are needed for the jo-or so is my understanding.

Actually, seriously, I think writing letters to the editor (or to Nazims) will solve nothing. It would be much better for the citizens of Karachi to simply organize a volunteer effort to clean up the beaches, for example. Or to organize an effort to help out the fishermen who have been effected.

No point in slavishly whining to the government with letters.

hey tainted, we can work on organizing one, in the meantime do send it to daily papers like dawn, news, the nation etc