Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Aquatic Creatures Killed in Dynamite Blast for Gas Pipeline Construction

May 16, 2011

12.05. Narinjara news

Kyauk Pru: Aquatic creatures have been killed and the environment damaged for the gas pipeline construction off the coast of Arakan after the construction company dynamited rock masses in the water along the path of the future pipeline, said witnesses.

Kill-&-Dynamite-Blast-for-Gas-Pipeline-ConstructionThe ship that dynamites rock masses in the water

Throughout the path of the gas pipeline, there are rocks and rock masses in the water that have impeded laying pipe, so the company has been blasting the rock with dynamite to remove it.

“We saw a ship that had dynamited the rock every day. But we can not provide details because the authorities did not allow local people to approach near the ship during the work,” a witness said on the condition of anonymity.

The sea life hit hardest in the dynamite blasts are fish and shrimp. “We sometimes found fish dying in the water when we went to the area for fishing. We believe the fish died from the dynamite that was used to blast space for the gas pipeline through the sea,” he added.

The gas pipeline is now being laid down off the Arakan coast near Kyaukpru Township, where it will be connected to the pipeline on land. The gas pipeline is being constructed in Arakan and Burma proper to send gas from Arakan to China beginning in 2013.

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