Work on Raiwind-Manga Road: 42 textile mills to face cut in power

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has planned 10-hour a day power supply cut to 42 textile mills from February 7. The Lesco management is due to start maintenance work on Raiwind-Manga Road transmission line to rehabilitate conductors. The maintenance work would continue for 25 days, starting from February 7.
Accordingly, power supply to 42 textile mills on Raiwind-Manga road would remain affected from 8am to 6pm during the given period. It may be noted that APTMA has been pursuing the Lesco management for deferring the maintenance work time and again in the past, hoping for uninterrupted gas supply to Captive Power Plants (CPPs) in these mills. Lesco sources said that an undue delay in start of maintenance work had already disappointed two contractors and they could not take a risk of losing the third one.
They further added that any further delay in maintenance work would result into advent of summer season that might lead to hiccups of some other nature. The textile industry, on the other hand, is of the view that the Lesco should delay maintenance until February 15, when improvement in gas supply is expected. Presently, the SNGPL is supplying gas to these mills twice a week and chances of increase in number of days is much likely after February 15.
But the Lesco management has politely declined all such requests, reminding the APTMA management of lingering on the work already on similar excuses. Resultantly, some 42 textile mills would have no option but to keep their operations close during the forced closure during the specified period.
Textile industry is under performance since early last calendar year, running from pillar to post for uninterrupted energy supply, particularly in Punjab. Some 305 million dollars loss in exports has been recorded in the month of December and more is likely to take place ahead in case the industry continues with energy shortage.
It may be noted that textile industry had performed impressively during 2010-11, achieving dollars 14 billion exports when President Zardari ensured maximum energy supply to textile mills. However, situation is altogether different in 2011-12 and industry has already suffered gas curtailment for 150 days during the calendar year 2011. Power shortfall is running parallel to gas shortage. A total of 4,500MW shortfall was recorded on Friday amidst short supply of fuel by the PSO.