Rains have badly damaged civic infrastructure and communication and electricity systems in all industrial areas of Karachi, as a result most industrial units remained closed on Wednesday, industry sources said.
The fresh spell of monsoon rains started on Tuesday evening also continued on Wednesday morning caused a collapse of fragile civic infrastructure as well as communication system and left industries disconnected from rest of the country, they said.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati) Chairman Masood Naqi said 75 percent workers could not arrive in industrial units owing to early morning rains, which ultimately hit the public transport. "The unavailability of workforce resulted in suspension of about 85 percent industrial production," he added.
Roads and streets have completely been inundated by accumulated rainwater caused severe hindrances to vehicle movement during cargo transportation to industries, he added. Heavy downpour followed by electricity failure hit industrial production in the North Karachi industrial area where about 4000 units stopped functioning, said Muhammad Usman, former chairman, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry.
He said that power failure, dilapidated roads and disconnected telephones were the major reasons bringing about a complete closure of production in all industries of this area. He said that authorities concerned stopped the supply of electricity and water to industries in early morning.
He expressed fears that during next three days present situation would continue due to accumulated rainwater in the ditches of broken and dug-up roads in the area. "The Karachi industrial units have completely been cut off from the entire world as telephone lines have been damaged during recent downpour", he added.
The situation emerged in the wake of rains in the industries is still grim and would take at least three days to get normalcy in the industrial activities for the resumption of production, he said.
Moreover, about 60 percent industrial production process was hit in the rains in Site Industrial Area of the metropolis, said Zubair Motiwala, former chairman, Site Association. Rains virtually caused serious damages to civic infrastructure, including drainage system and road and streets have been submerged by rainwater in the area, he added. "Power breakdowns started from the morning which continued till afternoon, as a result the machines in all units remained inoperative," he added.
Alliance of Market Associations Chairman Atiq Mir said that 90 percent small and big markets remained closed during and after rains. He said that over 65 percent markets suffered load shedding, adding that major power feeders of the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) tripped and did not function due to rains.
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