Today is the day the federal govt. said/claimed the oil salvage operation will finish, and the beaches about ready to open. The govt. seems deaf, dumb and blind to all expert suggestions. Over the last few days a number of foriegn experts have criticized the handling the salvage operation and the clean up. Some of these experts are involved in handling the cleanup but it seems the govt. is not letting them do what needs to be done. “They keep complaining”:http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2003-daily/26-08-2003/metro/k8.htm but so far no good has come out of it. It seems the govt. wants to repeat its performance of “last year’s oil spill”:http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2003-daily/26-08-2003/metro/k7.htm.
bq.. The cleaning and restoration of the environment requires massive Federal and International help and funding, but the government and all its brassy manifestations continue to question the gravity of the tragedy. Every utterance by them affirms a complete lack of knowledge and sensitivity.
There is a huge body of knowledge waiting to be tapped regarding cleaning of oil spills and marine biologists and environmental scientists have in recent years made considerable advances in combating oil spills. By now all matters pertaining to this environmental disaster should have been handed over to a body of experts, and admirals and brigadiers relegated into the background, to provide the experts support and the resources that they require. But can one expect the armed forces personnel to surrender conquered turf back to civilians?
What little efforts are afoot inspire no confidence and may be counterproductive. For instance spraying chemicals to disperse the oil may remove it from view but would result in the oil fragmenting into small particles, which would be impossible to retrieve.
The martial manoeuvre of bulldozing the beaches of oil and essential sand is tantamount to throwing the baby away with the bath water. Sand helps protect the land from sea erosion. If sand were removed in large quantities it would precipitate erosion, resulting in no beach left for cleaning or saving.
…The armed forces personnel are neither educated nor trained to run and manage a huge commercial port. The thinking skills and vision, necessary for the success of any commercial or vibrant organization, are naturally curbed in the unquestionable hierarchical world of the armed forces.
>> “Dawn: A sea defiled, a beach destroyed”:http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/26/op.htm#4
p. Update: “Pakistan fears major spill as grounded tanker leaks”:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_27-8-2003_pg7_12
Update: Not much in the news or the papers about the oil for the last 2 days.
* “Greenpeace: Karachi oil spill devastation”:http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=305639
Interesting info & pics on Oil Spills History at http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/faqs/history.html.
pakistan govt should have been awakened and they should have been more alert
Well the Pakistan Govt. is very much awakened to Their Self-Interests since the birth of Pakistan and I bet you can’t doubt that. Heard Musharaf saying the Parliaments would not longer be there with the shattering of LFO. We have got more important things to do you dumb nation!, cries the government. So stay clear of their intellect, if you may – the dumb nation.
Response Techniques: http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/oiltech.htm
i was doin a report for my class and i got an att thanks