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KARACHI: Heavy downpour all through Monday night till Tuesday afternoon caused massive production and trade losses amounting to billion of rupees as almost all the commercial centers and industries remained closed on Tuesday.
Workers and office staff failed to reach their destination owing to negligible public transport as rain water submerged main arteries of the city.
Besides, power outage in many industrial and market areas further worsened the situation.
There was also complete suspension in the movement of imported goods from the port to the wholesale markets. Many banks were closed while attendance remained short in other banks.
In many factories rain water accumulated at the main entrance and inside prevented movement of workers and staff. Many meetings and visits of foreign and local guests arranged by industrialists and apex trade bodies fixed for Tuesday were postponed.
All Karachi Tajir Itehad chairman Atiq Mir said rain water entered hundreds of shops and godowns destroying items like furniture, light machines, paper and paper board, foams, medicines, and clothes etc.
He said traders had been facing huge losses since Saturday when heavy rains lashed the city and on Tuesday almost all the markets in old city areas were closed.
From Saturday to Tuesday, Atiq estimated a trade and financial loss to the tune of Rs8-9 billion. He blamed the higher ups of the city government for misleading the people regarding cleaning of sewerage and drainage systems for upcoming monsoon rains. The rains exposed their inefficiency.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati) chairman Syed Johar Ali Qandhari said almost all the 4,000-4,500 units were closed resulting in a single day production loss of Rs3 to 4 billion, besides causing revenue loss of Rs300-350 million to the national kitty.
North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (Nkati) chairman Faraz Mirza said hardly five to six per cent of 2,000-2,500 industrial units functioned.
He estimated a production loss of Rs250-300 million on a single day while billions of rupees were lost on account of export, market supplies and revenue from the industrial area.
Landhi Association of Trade and Industry (Lati) chairman Riaz Ahmad said only 20-25 per cent workers marked their attendance but the turnout was not enough to achieve production targets. Almost all the industries hardly managed to attain optimum production level.
He added only some spinning industries witnessed production activities as their workers living in nearby areas reached the industries.
F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBATI) chairman Mohammad Irfan said hardly 20 per cent production was recorded in some industries out of 2,000 units due to turnout of workers of same percentage.
All the deliveries to local markets and export shipments to the ports remained paralysed.
Site Association of Trade and Industry chairman Abdul Wahab Lakhani said that there was almost a public holiday like situation on Tuesday as rain water on the main roads of the industrial area and dearth of transport prevented workers to reach their factories.
