More than 50 percent industries in the Site industrial area have ceased to operate due to an acute shortage of water supply and the rest are likely to shut down their businesses if the problem persists, Business Recorder learnt Tuesday.
Chairman Site Association of Industries (SAI) Salim Parekh, in his SOS message to the Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah has said that despite several reminders to the Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) regarding the problem, no improvement was witnessed in the biggest industrial area of the country. He said that more than 300 industries, housed in the Site industrial area, are facing great difficulties due to a precarious situation regarding the supply of water by the KW&SB. The area is receiving water with a low pressure for a quite some time now and the problem seems to be aggravating with every passing day despite assurances given by the KW&SB authorities, said Parekh.
As per schedule the KW&SB is bound to supply water continuously without a break for twelve hours daily, but due to the board's mismanagement, the supply have been reduced to 3-4 hours and that too with an interruption of one hour as a result of which the pressure of water goes down to zero and takes upto two hours to build up its pressure again, he said.
The quota of water allocated by the government is 8 MGD, but the area is receiving 2.5-3 MGD water and that too at a low pressure as result of which industries are getting a meagre supply of water; pushing them to the point of ceasing their operations, he added. Even the area's Fire Brigade Station does not have enough water to tackle any untoward situation, said Parekh. The SAI has sought Sindh governor's and chief minister's support in resolving the issue at the earliest.