KARACHI, Feb 8: While a Sindh government instituted fact-finding committee appears to be sitting on the issue of environmental damage caused by a crude oil spill that took place in Korangi last December and subsequent rehabilitation activities, a senior official of the refinery concerned claims that only about 150 tons of oil was spilled in the incident.
The oil spill had occurred on 16,000 Road in Korangi’s Sector 48 on Dec 17, 2008, when an underground oil main of the Pak-Arab Refinery Company Limited (Parco), passing under the central median island, was punctured by workers of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) while working on their system further below.
The government quarters, relief and rescue workers and residents had held that the rupture in the oil pipeline had caused a significant amount of crude oil to gush into the air at a height of 20-30 metres before spreading onto the roads and finding its way into hundreds of homes, shops and public amenities, including sewers.
The general concerns prompted the provincial government’s environment department to constitute a committee for identifying the cause of the accident and for determining the level of contamination and its impact on human health and property, restoration and rehabilitation plan and its implementation on the ground. However, the department has yet to ensure any smooth and meaningful proceedings of the fact-finding committee during the last 50 days.
When contacted by Dawn, the head of Parco’s corporate affairs department, Shah M. Saad Hussain, said the hole in the pipeline was plugged in two hours, but the supply of crude oil through the repaired line to up-country destinations was restored after 22 hours.
Imported crude oil coming through the Karachi port is supplied to Parco’s oil refinery located at Mehmood Kot in Muzzafargarh District in Punjab through a 16-inch diameter pipeline laid about 30 years back, with the first pumping station – which is also the master control centre – near the PAF Korangi Creek base.
‘Nothing to worry about’
Mr Hussain said his company had appointed a consultant to look into the oil spill and pipeline damages. “In the light of the initial reports received from the consultants, I can say that the quantity of oil that spilled in Korangi on Dec 17 was only about 150 tons and the situation related to the natural and physical environment and health of the area residents is in control. There is nothing to be worried about,” he said.
He added that Parco teams had continuously observed different environmental and public health parameters in the affected area of Korangi from the beginning and would continue monitoring the area for about two more months.
The readings of volatile organic compounds in the air and surveys for ascertaining the condition of soil and quality of both drinking and sub-soil water had been giving positive results and there was no cause for concern, he said, adding that the original soil in the area of the incident was also intact.
However, he did not speak about the quantity of the oil-soaked sand used for rescue on Dec 17 and the mechanism adopted for its scientific disposal, and said he could only say that the sand was removed by the SSGC under the supervision of the city district government of Karachi.
Compensation
About the payment of compensation to area residents against the reported effects of the oil spill and the subsequent hours-long drizzle of oil in the affected area, including the houses, amenities, public institutions and commercial concerns, the Parco spokesman expressed his ignorance, saying compensation payment was the SSGC’s subject.
In its last meeting held on Dec 24, the government committee had quizzed senior officials of Parco and SSGC, but failed to get plausible answers to many questions.
A couple of members contacted by Dawn recently said that the December meeting, which was aimed at developing interaction among different stakeholders as well, failed to reach any solution or remedial measures for the future in the absence of meaningful information.
There had been an opinion that Sepa or the Sindh environment department should not uphold any report related to the ambient air quality, the level of exposure of humans to the polluted environment and restoration activities expected to be forwarded to it unless those were discussed in the committee.
Requesting anonymity, one member said he and a couple of others had been pursuing government officials for convening meetings of the committee or declaring it (the committee) void.
“Among other things, the Korangi incident had certainly created a strong urge among the committee members that the oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage companies and agencies should map out their respective supplies or operational networks to ensure the availability of data and details at a central place, as an effort to ensure a foolproof operation and abatement of accidents in future,” the member observed.
The standing committee of the Senate was also scheduled to discuss the issue of the Korangi oil pipeline burst on Feb 6 and the action taken so far by the relevant ministry and departments, but it failed to hold a meeting, said a source.
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