KARACHI: A ship containing hazardous material, which was denied permission by India and Bangladesh, has been 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.
However, the ship has been anchored at the Gadani ship-breaking yard and work is underway to dismantle it.
The ship was not allowed by the Bangladeshi and Indian authorities due to the dangerous content inside it which poses a serious threat to the environment.
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 had succeeded to bring it to Gadani after obtaining permission from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without getting the required approval from [the] concerned departments,” according to media reports.
They said that after getting the warning letter from Interpol, the Ministry of Environment and three other federal ministries were busy exchanging letters with each other.
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), EPA Balochistan and Customs were responsible for stopping the ship from entering Pakistan.
Sources said that the news about Cherish ship’s arrival was shared on an official Facebook page.
When the officials were contacted about the confirmation regarding the ship, the work on the ship-breaking was stopped and EPA Balochistan sealed the plot where the ship was anchored.
The concerned officials, however, have not responded to the queries sent to them.
Workers complaint of skin diseases
Despite the dangers of the hazardous material, the owner has deployed workers to empty the ship.
Mercury mixed oil sludge is being removed from the ship and filled in drums for sale.
Workers have complained of severe burning and rashes on their hands and face and breathing difficulties. They requested that their faces not be shown on TV for fear of losing their jobs.
