'Industries to face no loadshedding in December'

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said on Saturday that there will be no loadshedding for industrial units in the city except on four Sundays in the month of December. Addressing a hurriedly called press conference alongwith Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain at Governor House, he said that a big energy crisis was created due to loadshedding in Karachi for both domestic and industrial consumers.
Industrial sector was suffering from this loadshedding as their production was literally hampered. This was a genuine problems and we sit together with all the stakeholders and found the solution, he noted. Dr Ibad said that industrialists were taken on board and they also helped in reaching this solution. Industrial areas were facing loadshedding in three spans of four hours each, he opined.
He said that Dr Asim came all the way from London to find out solution on emergency basis. For this purpose, top management of SSGC, KESC and PSO were called to this meeting, he added. Governor said that a committee, consisting of representatives of all stakeholders, has been formed to take pre-emptive decision before any big crisis emerges in the city.
Dr Asim Hussain said that President and Prime Minister has asked him to immediately go to Karachi and find out solution to this loadshedding. He said that SSGC will provide 180 mmcf gas per day to KESC to end loadshedding and KESC will be upto date in the payment of arrears to SSGC and PSO by January 2012. He said that country is facing a big gas shortage which would increase in the coming months as the country has a limited quantity of gas.
About 50 mmcf per day of gas from Kunar Pushaki well will be added to the network after January to improve the situation. He said industry will have to face loadshedding on four Sundays in the month of December and gas availability will be improved after January 2012. Dr Asim said that CNG stations will face two days shut down every week in December 2011 and the decision for the availability of gas for them will be decided on monthly basis afterwards. For domestic sector, loadshedding will be zero (where power theft is zero) to 4.5 percent (in power theft areas). He said there will be no gas connections for high rise building in future.