The industrial sector has suffered millions of rupees production losses due to 13 hours unannounced load shedding carried out by Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) in industrial areas of the city. Few days ago KESC agreed to reduce load shedding and later on the intervention of Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad and caretaker minister for industries Khalid Tawabm, started uninterrupted power supply to the industrial sector.
However, industrialists said that the KESC has again started carrying out 13 hours unannounced load shedding in all industrial areas of the city on the pretext of getting less gas supply from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). They said that they were unable to understand why KESC was not operating its power generation units on oil when SSGC reduce gas supply.
Every month KESC start load shedding in industrial areas on one pretext or the other which hampers industrial production activities adversely, they alleged. The load shedding has rendered daily-wagers jobless, besides affecting the routine activities of life in the city. Water supply also remains suspended during the load shedding. Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Mohammad Zubair Chhaya said that industrial sector was the main victim of this massive load shedding despite the fact that business community fulfils its national obligations by paying all utility bills on time.
He said power supply in the industrial estate was suspended at 12:30pm and the area is without power. He said it was a sheer injustice that instead of controlling line losses and making arrangements to stop electricity thefts, the KESC was busy in worsening the situation.
He said that the government should come up with a clear cut energy policy as the unscheduled and hours long power outages and unsmooth gas supply even in summer season were causing unprecedented losses to both the trade and industry. He said that the industries were fast heading towards collapse due to the prevailing situation.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting was held at North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) to discuss unscheduled 13-hour long load shedding in this industrial estate. The meeting was attended by Pattern-in-Chief NKATI, Noor Ahmed Khan, Acting chairman NKATI Mohammad Farooq, Vice Chairman Syed Iqtedar Ali and others members of the association. They warned the government of closures of industrial units in Karachi if it failed to stop power outages in industrial areas.
"Industrial production has already gone down by 50 percent in the city only because of hours' long electricity suspension and the remaining is paying a very high cost for keeping the industrial wheel on the run," he added. They said that the situation today has reached the point that the city may face goods shortage and labour may loss their jobs as they are unable to meet production target. The representatives of NKATI invited the attention of the government towards the problems being faced by the industries due to hours' long power outages.
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