Industrial units operating on gas to remain closed on Sundays

N H Zuberi

KARACHI: All the industrial units operating on gas or generating their own power by using gas will remain closed on Sundays on the assurance of the government that it will provide full pressure of gas to industries from Monday to Saturday.

The government also assured industrialists that it would also increase gas supply to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) to reduce duration of ongoing loadshedding in industrial areas of the city.

Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati), Ehtishamuddin said that a meeting of representatives of seven industrial town associations and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) was held in Islamabad with Petroleum Minister Dr. Asim Hussain and representative of SSGC, Hasan Nawab, where it was agreed that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will provide full pressure of gas from Monday to Saturday if industrialists using gas for operating industrial units keep their units closed on Sunday.

He said that industries using gas will remain closed on Sunday (today) and if this is succeeded, full pressures will be maintained during Monday to Saturday only then industrial units using gas will remain closed on coming Sundays.

He said that the representative of SSGC assured that the utility would be able to save enough gas to maintain pressure during rest of the week.

He said that SSGC has announced that gas supply will remain closed for industries and captive power units from 7 a.m. on Sunday till 7 a.m. on Monday.

Ehtishamuddin said that earlier a meeting was held at Governor House where the SSGC made similar proposal to keep industrial units closed on Sunday. When asked about loadshedding, he said that KESC has reduced loadshedding in industrial areas from 12 hours to 8 hours. There was no loadshedding from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. However in the evening loadshedding would continue as per announced schedule.

He said those present in the meeting were President KCCI Mian Abrar Ahmed, former Presidents KCCI Siraj Kassim Teli, Zubair Motiwala, while Mehtab Chawal and Ehtishamuddin represented 7 industrial town associations.

Former President KCCI, Majid Aziz expressed concern over announcement of SSGC that it will impose penalty on industries found operating on Sunday.

He said that they have also decided to shut off gas supply for 48 hours of those units found operational on Sunday.

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Textiles Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) has announced that all industrial units will remain closed on Sunday in accordance with the unanimous decision taken in the meeting.

The association said that this closure would help ease gas shortage and improve supply and pressure during the week.