Daily Times

The work on dismantling a ship containing hazardous material has been stopped and Balochistan Environmental Protection Agency (BEPA) has sealed the plot where it was anchored.

According to details, the ship was denied permission by India and Bangladesh due to the dangerous content inside it, which poses a serious threat to the environment, but it was allowed to enter Pakistani waters despite a clear warning by Interpol.

On April 22, Interpol had asked the Pakistan Interpol and Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) to not allow the ship into Pakistan. It contains 1,500 tonnes of mercury mixed oil. In Mumbai, the name of the ship was changed from FS Ordient to Cherish. After changing the name, the ship reached Karachi from Mumbai on April 21.

The owners of the ship succeeded to bring it to Gadani after obtaining permission from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without getting the required approval from the concerned departments.

On the other hand, after getting the warning letter from Interpol, the Ministry of Environment and three other federal ministries were busy exchanging letters with one another. The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), BEPA and Customs were responsible for stopping the ship from entering Pakistan.

Despite the dangers of the hazardous material, the owner deployed workers to empty the ship and they started removing mercury mixed oil sludge from the ship and filling in drums for sale.

Workers also complained of severe burning and rashes on their hands and face and breathing difficulties.

A couple of weeks earlier, GMS, the world’s largest cash buyer of ships for recycling, said in a report that the coronavirus pandemic has hampered recycling capacities at Gadani Ship-Breaking Yard.