Heavy rains adversely affect industrial units' output

Heavy rains on Thursday adversely affected production of industrial units in the city as workers' turnout was poor, and movement of goods affected by downpours. According to industry estimates, units in industrial estates witnessed a 20 to 50 per cent drop in production due to the torrential rain. Many industrial units were also hit by power breakdowns following heavy rain.
Many employees could not reach workplaces while a good number of traders opted to keep their businesses shut. Industrialists said they missed their export shipments as container trawler operators and truckers could not reach the units and arrival of raw material from ports also remained at a low ebb.
Industry players also pointed out that dispatches of finished goods and supply of raw material was also disrupted as transportation came to a grinding halt. Many garment manufacturing units, especially those located in areas such as North Karachi industrial estate, remained shut. In many industrial areas more than 50 per cent labour and workforce are on daily wages and many of them are contract employees hired through contractors. Industry players also pointed out that dispatches of finished goods and supply of raw material was also disrupted as transportation came to a grinding halt.