KARACHI, March 22: The Sindh Wildlife Department and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), a non-governmental organization, have objected to a proposal of an oil company seeking a blanket permission to work in a protected area , it is learnt here on Monday.

According to the sources, a multinational oil company O.M.V., which intends to start its exploratory work in the Latif Concession comprising areas of Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Reserve, has asked for a blanket permission that it may be allowed to carry out the seismic survey and dig wells without mentioning the sites and dates.

In its objections, WWF Deputy Director-General Dr Ejaz Ahmad has pointed out that the permission was being sought for a seismic survey and drilling of three wells over a period of three years.

The actual sites for wells could be identified only after conducting the seismic survey, he said. In absence of this vital information, he added, the blanket permission should not be given and the company at this stage be asked to seek permission just for the seismic survey.

Sindh Wildlife Conservator Hussain Bakhsh Bhagat has also objected to the blanket permission being sought by the company. He stressed that first the permission for the seismic survey be obtained.

He said that the oil company had given no reference to the proposed well locations and the associated site-specific conditions that could decide the anticipated issues.

Mr Bhagat said that when the actual well sites were identified after conducting the survey, the permission for each site should be obtained separately as every proposed well location would have its specific conditions that might require specific solutions.

Both the officials have suggested that applications for permission be submitted separately. First the permission for the seismic survey be submitted and when locations for wells are identified the permission for each well site, while keeping in view its specific conditions, be applied for separately.

They have also expressed concern over the changes in the dates and venues of the public hearings, which the government holds to discuss the proposals submitted by the oil companies before permitting the company to start its work in a particular area.

The officials said that the changes in dates and venues caused hardships among the stake-holders, who lost interest in the process. They said that earlier a public hearing to discuss the proposal submitted by a Malaysian oil company, Petronas Carigali, which is working in the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, was to be held at a hotel in Sukkur.

However, they said, the venue was changed and shifted to Karachi at the last moment and only two out of 48 stake-holders participated in the discussion at Karachi.

Similarly, they said that the public hearing for the proposal submitted by the O.M.V. Pakistan Exploration GmbH, which wanted to work in the Nara Game Reserve, was scheduled to be held at Sukkur.

However, the venue was changed at the last moment from Sukkur to Karachi and only a very few stake-holders participated in the discussion, they added. The officials demanded that public hearings for localized projects be held in their respective areas so that the representatives of the community and other stake-holders could easily participate.

They further said that the stake-holders would be able to monitor the companies' activities effectively if they (stake-holders) were facilitated to participate in the public hearing.