Although the coastal belt of southern Sindh had a providential escape from the fury of a cyclone last weekend, the heavy downpour preceding it did take its toll, notwithstanding the elaborate precautionary measures the district and provincial governments claimed to have taken earlier. Among other rain related misfortunes, around $12 million export and Rs 200 million production losses were suffered in Karachi from power breakdowns alone.
According to a Business Recorder report, quoting the Site Association of Industry (SAI), the incessant rain starting late Friday night caused faults in a number of power stations, resulting in severe shortfall in power generation, on the one hand, and causing tripping at some 300 feeders, on the other, thereby, dislocating the industrial activity all over the city.
Only a numbered few industrial units, having their own power generating units, remained in operation in Site Industrial Area, North Karachi, Federal 'B' Industrial Area and Korangi Industrial Area. Overall production losses were estimated by the association at around Rs 200 million per day.
More to it, KATI has pointed out that as around 2500 industrial units are installed in this industrial estate, contributing around Rs 2.5 billion in taxes per day, disruption in production due to power failure has deprived the government of that much revenue. Needless to point out, this assessment would sound quite objective.
As the cyclone, which hit the Keti Bunder and Ahmed Rajo early Sunday morning - the two coastal towns of Thatta and Badin districts - had already weakened, it did not cause the widely feared disaster. However, the heavy rainfall, which followed, disrupted normal life in Hyderabad, disturbing power distribution system of Hesco and sewerage and water supply networks of Wasa, leading to accumulation of water in many places.
The rains, with high velocity winds, is also feared to have affected the cotton crop in the areas where second and third pickings were in progress, as also the chilli crop. A redeeming feature is, of course, the prospect of benefiting rice, sugarcane and fruit crop.
It is, just another matter that Badin and Thatta districts, lashed by rain high velocity winds, rendered thousands of people homeless, who were shifted to safer places.
All in all, of all the places in the coastal areas of Sindh, Karachi will appear to have suffered the most, and that too, from the failure of KESC to fulfil its obligations in such emergency situation. This will point to the utility's gross neglect of the needed preparation it was supposed to have made fairly in advance of the monsoon season.
Its failure is all the more evident from the unannounced load shedding it had resorted to weeks before the last weekend's cloudburst. The only difference made during the rains was intensification of power failures not only in the industrial area but also in the city's residential quarters and commercial centres. It will be noted that businessmen have expressed righteous indignation over poor maintenance of the KESC's power production and distribution system.