KARACHI: No oil was found during the recent aerial inspection of the coastal area surrounding Mubarak Village, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency reported on Monday.
As the cleanup operation at Mubarak Village entered the fourth day, the authorities continued to clean the oil slick that was a threat to the environment and the marine life on the coastal belt.
It was reported that Pakistan Navy’s Chief of Operation Commander Abid said, “In the first phase, rocks on the coast will be cleaned.”
“The oil from rocks will be cleaned up in two to three days’ time,” he assured adding, “Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Maritime Agency and other departments are busy in cleaning up the oil,” Commander Abid added.
Counselor Mubarak Village Sarfraz Haroon said, “Only 40 to 50 per cent cleanup work has been done. Oil stuck to rocks is the hardest to clean.”
He added, “There is still oil present near the coast.”
“A small amount of oil has been identified near Cape Monze which is being removed with the help of KMC,” Haroon added.
Mubarak Village is a fishing village in Kimari Town near Karachi, located along the shore of Arabian Sea. The village is a popular tourist destination, known as the gateway to the small, pristine Charna Island.
Earlier, on October 26, an oil slick near Charna Island was spotted by locals when the high sea tides left black “globs” behind on the beach.
The slick was first thought to have been caused by an oil spillage from the nearby refineries, with some reports suggesting that the oil spilled after a pipeline owned by Byco Petroleum burst.