KARACHI, Nov 27: The drilling of an exploratory well for the discovery of hydro-carbons in the Ghotki district is likely to affect the physical environment as well as air and water quality in the region, says a report.

The government has awarded an exploration licence to a petro-firm for the drilling of the well, Rehan-1, in the Mubarak block of Ghotki district which is a part of the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary as well. The site is located in deh Sutaro, Union Council Lohi, about 37kms south of Ghotki and about 49kms east of Sukkur.

According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study, the drilling work includes construction of access roads leading to the site and camp, development of well area, establishment and operation of the camp, excavation, testing, etc. besides well capping for future production and site restoration.

All these activities, planned to start during the first quarter of the next year, are likely to continue over a period of four-five months.

The main project area of the Nara desert is sand dunes and the primary source of water for the area is Indus river, a part of Sindh’s irrigation network which originates from Guddu Barrage.

Ecologically, the project area is a part of the tropical thorn forest eco-zone, which is badly degraded. It consists of extensive areas of undulating sand dunes with almost no vegetation cover. Low rainfall, high summer temperature, high-velocity winds, poor soil with scattered plants on flat land between the dunes and a small, imbalance number of wildlife species are characteristics of the area, said the EIA report.

Situated in a sandy plain surrounded by small sand dunes, the site hosts a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

The Indian wolf, chinkara, houbara, striped hyena, honey badger and white-backed vulture are species of concern in the area. These species were once abundant in the region but there hasbeen a sharp decline in their number over the recent years, the report observed.

The EIA study covered 14 villages having a total population of 1,940. The inhabitants depend on agriculture and livestock-rearing for their livelihood. They apprehend that the drilling and other activities at the project site would undermine livestock grazing as well as agriculture. The principal crops in the project area are cotton, rice, wheat, maize, millet (jawar) bajra, gram and barley.

The study finds that the exploration activities may lead to an accelerated soil erosion and reduction in the indigenous seed bank. It further pointed out that the operation would pose a serious threat to the wildlife and feared habitat fragmentation, accidental killing or maiming, destruction of the dens of carnivores and an exodus of animals from the area.

The potential socio-economic impact of the proposed projects, according to the report, included an adverse affect on community livelihood, local people’s quality of life, water quality and mobility of woman folk. It may be noted that the main source of potable water in the area is the ground-water tapped through hand pumps.

The ground-water, the study said, would be contaminated by the sanitary and kitchen discharge, spent drilling and drill cuttings, oil and grease from rig wash and rig pad, sediments from altered land surface, liquid hydro-carbon, drilling chemicals and spilled fuel, oil and chemicals and effluents all to be disposed of within the project area.

The project activity would also affect the ambient air quality of the areas because of the dust to be generated during the operation of machineries and movement of vehicles. Air pollution would be caused by the emission from flares during testing and any abnormal drilling operations, hydrogen sulphide emissions, exhaust fumes vehicle and emission from the burn pit, it added.

The report, however, indicated that the environmental consultants to the proponents of Rehan-1 project, have incorporated mitigation and control measures into the project design in order to minimize, if not eliminate, the potential threat to the environment.

The report, prepared by Haigler Bailly Pakistan, would come under discussion at a public hearing to be held on Nov 30 under the aegis of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sindh.