Acute energy shortage: textile industry may enter a difficult phase

Textile industry in Punjab is likely to enter a difficult phase with acute energy shortage ahead. The mercury is dropping fast with every passing day, already reduced to 12c and gas pressure in pipelines would reduce, resulting in more miseries to the textile industry. About 70 percent of textile industries have shifted to gas-fed Captive Power Plants (CPPs).
It may be noted that All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) is already agitating against the situation, confronting the SNGPL's move of curtailing gas for four days than agreed duration of three days a week. Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain is trying its level best to ensure gas supply to textile units during low-pressure, likely to start by mid of December and last until end of January.
Textile industry in Faisalabad has already started feeling the heat, as the notification on suspension of gas supply for four days, from December 15 to December 18, has been withdrawn by the SNGPL. Earlier, on Saturday last the SNGPL had reviewed the four-day closure schedule and announced that the industry would get gas on Sunday.
Textile millers and workers in Faisalabad have already organised protest rallies and a sit-in. The recently formed Save Industry Committee has convened an emergent meeting to decide defying of loadshedding schedule. Not only gas-fed units, some 30 percent textile industry is Pepco-fed, already burning midnight oil to keep their capacities alive amidst power shortage. This is not all.
This segment of textile industry is likely to face the brunt further with the start of canal desilting campaign by the end of December until end of January. Already, these units are criticising the cost different on electricity feeders against the gas feeders, carrying a difference of over Rs 2 per unit. These industrial units are also very critical to the Aptma for not taking up their case to the Pepco authorities aggressively the way it takes up the issue of gas-fed units. However, the Aptma leadership is of the view that it has worked hard to win exemption from power loadshedding besides new load for industry.
The worst energy crisis is looming over the textile industry, registering double digit loss in exports since the start of new fiscal against the corresponding period. This drop in exports would ultimately hit the national exports by the end of current fiscal. Also, the textile labour force is living under stress, as they are not only denied salaries at certain mills but also they are under threat of job losses.