The industrial sector has sounded alarm bell of massive closure of industries in Karachi if the K-Electric (KE) carrying 12 out hours unannounced load-shedding in industrial areas rendering massive unemployment and export orders would not completed. Industrialists expressed fear that they would lose their hard earned export markets to competitor countries.
The industrialists demanded of the KE official to immediately restore power to all the indusial areas of the city as the load shedding would cause irreparable loss to the economy and many industries would be closed down. They said unannounced load-shedding has diminished the pace of production, causing problems to exports to honour their commitments. SITE Association of Industries (SAI) has expressed serious concerns and reacted strongly on the unannounced 12 hours of load-shedding by KE, from 12 am to 12 pm. Previously KE started scheduled load-shedding from 7 pm to 9 pm and 12 am to 7 am. Unannounced frequent change of load-shedding schedule further affects roduction and financial losses. Load-shedding of 12 hours a day makes impossible to survive in these economic conditions with increasing costs and shortage of supply of diesel/gas for self-generation of power, the financial burdens and problems further intensify.
If un-announced load shedding continues, there is no other alternative except to shutdown the factories during the holy month of Ramazan. President SAI, Asad Nisar said that SSGCL has provided 165 MMCFD (1050 BTU) which is very good quantity of gas with normal pressure to K-Electric. During hot summer season KE must use Furnace Oil and Diesel for additional generation to reduce the un-announced load shedding.
He said, "Industries located in SITE area have been badly affected as most of the small industries which are vendors for the large exporters became idle due to non-availability of electric power". It's a universal fact that industrial power consumers have been making regular payments of energy bills to KE.
He further said the load-shedding creates unemployment in the city and will affect to law and order situation which is already in worst condition, the industry in Karachi is already suffering from a variety of problems in keeping the production wheel rolling and in addition to it protracted load shedding and frequent breakdowns in industrial estates, mainly due to inefficiency and mismanagement of KE have further aggravated the situation and rendered the industrial units at the verge of collapse, he added.
He also proposed that the commercial sale of electricity by the Captive Power Plant may be allowed to save industries from fatal collapse. Nisar strongly urged the Prime Minister, Governor of Sindh, Chief Minister of Sindh and the Federal Minister for Water & Power to take serious note of this illegitimate action of KE and instruct KE to immediately resume the normal power supply to the industries in Karachi to avoid total ruin and disaster to the Industries, in fact this unannounced load shedding will also be a big blow to the valuable exports which consequently will largely effect the national economy.
Comments
Comments are closed.