About 10 to 15 percent industrial units in Site industrial area remained closed on Wednesday due to non-supply of electricity by Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) on one pretext or the other.
Industrialists of Site area alleged that the KESC had deliberately suspended supply of electricity on one pretext or the other, like cable fault, short supply of gas from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and insufficient quantity of furnace oil to run the generator motors. The power supply on Wednesday was suspended on the excuse of cable fault at 11 am and it was not restored till filing of this story. The affected industrial units were bulk consumers of electrify.
The industrialists said their industries could not operate properly for last many days due to holiday on May 1, strikes, unannounced long hours' load shedding and persistent water shortage in the industrial area. They said that every night power supply is cut from 1 am to 6 am, which disrupts production at night shift.
Acting Chairman of Site Association of Industry (SAI), Asad Nisar Barkhurdaria, said that the accusation is very particular about load shedding in Site area as proper programming of industrial output and in particular the export goods cannot be operated.
To this end, the association is in constant touch with KESC management and urges it not to resort to load shedding without taking the Site Association into confidence. However, the power utility did not take the Association into confidence and unilaterally resorted to load shedding on Saturday night from 12.00 midnight to 2.00 pm on Sunday, ie for fourteen hours.
Asad said that earlier on Saturday during day time the KESC management informed the Site Association that there would be no load shedding, and industries could continue to run their industries without interruption. KESC claimed that it had made payment of Rs 210 million to PSO for supplying furnace oil to mitigate the sufferings of the people of Karachi due to prolonged load shedding.
During day time on Sunday the industries were closed on account May Day - Labour Day, but at about 12.00 pm the industries started production to back up their losses occurred due to strike and load shedding resorted by KESC during the last week on one pretext or other. The KESC management resorted load shedding at 12.00 midnight on Saturday night and it continued up to 2.00 pm next day.
Asad said that assurances of KESC proved elusive and urged the KESC management to stand to its long term commitment of uninterrupted power supply to industry without resorting to load shedding. He said that the industrial exports and indeed the national economy, has suffered irreparable losses in shape of finances, manpower, exports and GDP, during the last week of unprecedented long hours of load shedding.
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