KARACHI, Aug 28: Prolonged load-shedding in five major industrial estates is inflicting billions of rupees losses as the production activity has almost dropped to 50 per cent.

The frequent and unannounced power outages is not only causing production loss but also damaging costly industrial plants and equipments thereby sending the industry out of production for longer period.

The worst-affected are small and medium size industrial units, which could not afford self-generation and have to fully depend on the power utility, KESC, which is faced with a shortfall of around 700MW against a total demand of 2200MW.

The leaders of these estates – Site, Korangi, North Karachi, Landhi and Federal B Area -- criticised the power utility saying it is totally mismanaged and there is no one who could be approached for resolving their problems.

Sheikh Fazle Jalil, chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry said that his association had invited KESC’s hierarchy, including the managing director and general managers on Monday to discuss energy problems being faced by the industrial units but nobody turned up except a few lower ranking staff.

Mr Jalil suspected a sort of conspiracy against the manufacturing sector because he felt presently, most of the policies were against the industry and this indicated that “some forces want us to close down our units”.

He raised a question that as to why the government was not paying outstanding dues to the tune of Rs11 billion to the independent power plants (IPPs) and bring them into full operation to generate power badly needed to sustain industrial production.

F B Area Association of Trade and Industry chairman Idrees Gigi said that the goods transporters’ strike for eight days crippled exports and created raw material shortages. Now prolonged power outages are causing production losses resulting in delays in shipment of export consignments.

Mr Gigi said the production had gone down up to 45 to 50 per cent owing to frequent and prolonged power outages.

North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Noor Ahmed Khan said that his estate was faced with the duel problem of power shortage as well as law and order. He said owing to prolonged power outages 50 per cent of industry went out of production.

He said it was becoming most difficult to run the industry under these circumstances where multiple problems remained unresolved.

He said the association members on Thursday held a meeting with the CCPO Wasim Ahmed to discuss law and order problem. He was accompanied with DIG Saleem Jaffri.

The police officials were informed that the theft cases were on the rise and industrialists did not feel safe while moving in and out of the industrial area.

He further said that the association had approached Sindh Minister for Industries Rauf Siddiqui and sought his help in sorting out power shortage problem. It has also contacted Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Ashraf Parvez.

Site Association of Industry chairman Nisar Shaikhani said without giving due importance to the manufacturing sector country’s economic woes could not be overcome. If the country has to improve its foreign exchange reserves it has to increase exports, he added.