The Sindh Government has shown its concern over the increasing use of substandard oil in public transport and has issued instructions to the police to carryout a crackdown on the smugglers, as well as users, of substandard oil from Iran.
The instruction were based upon three factors; one - it was affecting the local oil industry, two -promoting use of substandard oil in vehicles and third - adversely affecting the environment.
Oil depots of smuggled diesel; petrol and grease can be seen near the terminus of buses, mini buses and trucks operating in the city. Diesel and petrol is available at these depots at half the legal and official price. The smuggled oil also finds its way to legal gas stations in the city who mix it with the locally purchased oil.
This fuel is cheap, burns quickly and leaves carbon dioxide in immeasurable quantity. Because being comparatively dry in nature as compared to legally available oil it reduces engine life as well.
Researchers at the PCSIR have on a number of occasions warned the law enforcement agencies to look into the menace of substandard fuel being used in the city causing serious health problems such as lungs diseases, heart problems, kidney problems and weakening of the nervous system.
Similarly, the presence of excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has adversely affected growth of trees, chased away song birds from these trees and has badly affected the quality of vegetable in Malir and Gadap areas.
The waste or used oil taken out of vehicles or pumped out of factories and drained into the sea has affected aquatic flora and fauna. The quantity of untreated waste oil disposal in Pakistan is highest in the world. Even foreign vassals anchoring in Pakistani waters do not mind indulging into this activity. The entire Kemari Port presents a pathetic example of this situation. The water, as far as one can see, is oily, dirty and full of floating waste material.
A German frigate anchoring at the East Wharf last week took several photographs of water around it. It was all oily. The surface was littered with waste paper and plastic material and even empty cans of food and soft drinks, all Pakistani brands, were floating on it. One of the sailors asked his colleague about the oil spilled over the water surface and wondered if there were no laws to check this carelessness.
The Sindh Environment Protection Agency has been created to check these violations of law where rickety and smoke-emitting vehicles ply, preparation of plastic bags continues unabated, felling of trees go on unnoticed and disposal of untreated industrial waste, mostly carcinogenic, takes place without any fear of being checked.
Non profits are of the opinion that the corruption in the EPA, police and other similar agencies is the main cause of contributing to the degradation of environment. However, the absence of political will and the unawareness of the officials who have power to control all acts which are detrimental to environment is another reason of the worsening of the situation.
Shamsul Huq Memon, Director General of the Coastal Development Authority, who has remained secretary of the Sindh EPA for a long-time, is of the opinion that extensive awareness campaign and severe punishment seems to be the best combination to make people understand the urgency of compliance to environment laws. There should be no exceptions when it comes to the application and implementation of rules. It will make instructions of the provincial government to carryout crackdown on environment polluters effective. It should be across the board and made a regular activity for a longer duration. This is a bitter recipe but this the best in the given circumstances.