Industrialists and traders have requested the Governor, and the Chief Minister of Sindh to save the industry from collapse by resolving the tussle between the Karachi Electricity Supply Company's management, which has been made ground for prolong power outages in the city.
They also urged the concerned authorities to take notice of hours-long power outages on one pretext or the other and non-repairing of faults in distribution and supply system. They said that they were unable to meet their production targets as well as export commitments on time.
The citizens and industrialists were grinding in-between the ongoing tussle between the KESC administration and the CBA Union over their interests causing crippling power outages in the city, they added. "The two parties are at an impasse and it is the consumers who are suffering in the form of prolonged and sustained power cuts. The current situation is untenable. Both sides need to get together and hash out an agreement," they added.
They said that the national economy was already in bad shape and in prevailing circumstances, the situation created by KESC would break the backbone of country's economy. Chairman, S.I.T.E Association of Industry (SAI), Abdul Wahab Lakhani has expressed grave concern over the prolonged stand-off between the KESC management and workers' Union, which is going on for more than a month and has become the most pressing problem of Karachi and unrest is simmering in the city as well as industrial areas.
"The breakdowns due to line faults or other technical faults, which remain unattended for days, have crippled the production in S.I.T.E. Area and industries are closing one by one," he added. He said that he was in constant touch with KESC management for keeping the house intact but they too seem helpless.
"Although they attend to the complaints partially on urgent call basis, they are unable to cope with all the complaints until and unless the CBA strike is over. If the matter of strike is not resolved on urgent basis, there will be complete shut down of industries causing irreparable losses to industrial production and exports," he added.
Expressing alarm over the forecast of rains in Karachi from Friday, Wahab Lakhani said that he was afraid the entire metropolis would plunge into darkness with the first drop of rain, because there would be no one to attend the complaints of power failures, and as far as the Industrial production if concerned, the same will come to a grinding halt.
He also advised the KESC Management to look into this direction too and take all necessary measures to save the installations, sub-stations and its network in SITE area otherwise it would create havoc and then it would be very difficult to control the situation. Lakhani also urged Governor and Chief Minister Sindh to urgently intervene and save the industry from collapsing.