Non-availability of gas: around 80 percent industrial units remain closed in Karachi

All the industrial units operating on gas or generating their own power by using gas remained closed in the seven industrial estates of the Metropolis on Monday owing to non-availability of gas. Industrial workers reached company on duty as per schedule. However after some time they were asked to go back to their homes. The biggest sufferers were the daily wage workers.
They lost three days earning. Industrialists said that around 80 per cent industrial units remained closed in all industrial estates of the Metropolis. They recalled that some time back a meeting of representatives of seven industrial town associations and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) was held in Islamabad with Petroleum Minister, now advisor, Dr Asim Hussain and representative of SSGC Hasan Nawab where it was agreed that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will provide full pressure of gas from Monday to Saturday if industrialists using gas for operating industrial units keep their units closed on Sunday.
The industrialists expressed concern over fresh directives of SSGC in which it has advised industries to keep their units closed from Sunday 7am to Tuesday 7am due to low gas pressure. Industrialists said that industries facing gas pressure problem since last Friday. During Friday and Saturday industries remain closed by about 7 to 8 hours and from Sunday they are completed closed as per directive of SSGC.
Chairman, Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBAATI), Masroor Alvi has said that almost all industrial units remained closed on Monday. Chairman North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Abdul Rasheed Fodderwala units operating on gas remained closed. Muhammad Irfan Moton, Chairman, S.I.T.E. Association of Industry has expressed concern on low gas pressure in Site Industrial Area by the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited.
The production in the Site Industrial Area is badly suffered due to anomalous gas pressure for the last two days. He said that the industrial production stopped after gas pressure dropped abruptly, several captive power generating units also stopped operating because of the non-sufficient supply of gas to the biggest and oldest industrial area of the country.
He further said that this problem is being faced only by the industrialists of Site area whereas the other industrial area of Karachi are not facing the problem. The abrupt low gas pressure may cause heavy threats to human lives coupled with financial loss. The present supplies of low pressure of gas, industries have been put under constraint to meet out their targets resulting decline in earning of foreign exchange and loss of government exchequer. Chairman SITE Association demanded Managing Director, SSGCL to look into the issue and take necessary steps towards improvement in gas pressure in the biggest industrial estate of the country on war footing basis.