KARACHI: Production activity in seven industrial clusters is badly affected owing to prolonged power outages being carried out by the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

Industry leaders maintained that around 17,000 industrial units housed in these industrial clusters were struggling and many had to cancel export shipments.

The leaders were unanimous in their views and said that KESC was blackmailing the industry by resorting to prolonged loadshedding so that pressure could be built upon the Sui Southern Gas Company for enhancing its gas supply quota.

Chairman North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) M Farooq Khatura said that for the last four days KESC has resorted to eight hours loadshedding in his industrial area.

“KESC stops power supply for four hours in the morning from 9am to 1pm and another four hours in the evening from 7pm to 11pm and as a result two production shifts of the industry are affected. NKATI is housing around 2500 small and medium industrial units which are mostly export oriented and do not have their own power generation facility,” he said.

However, the worst effected are industrial workers who are mostly on daily wages and this means that if they work they get their remunerations of around Rs400 per day or go back without earning livelihood, he added.

Chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) M Zubair Chhaya was highly critical of KESC too.

“Even after making huge profits, the power utility company in order to increase gas supply for power generation is resorting to loadshedding,” he alleged.

He accused the power utility company for not paying huge amount of outstanding dues to the SSGC. “Instead KESC is demanding more gas supply by building pressure through industry, not realising that in the process it is directly damaging the country’s economy.”

Chhaya urged the government to force KESC to operate all its power generating units by using furnace oil where necessary.

Chairman F B Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBATI) Haroon Shamsi said currently the industry was in involved in meeting summer orders but prolonged loadshedding was hampering industrial activity and exports.

He feared that if the government didn’t immediately intervene there would be large scale closures of industrial units particularly of small and medium sized units which do not have their own power generation facilities.

Chairman SITE Association of Trade and Industry Dr Arshad Vohra said that KESC was blackmailing the industry by resorting to prolonged loadshedding without any valid reason. He said that the SSGC has not reduced gas supply to power utility company but the later wants to avoid use of furnace oil which is little costlier than gas.

KESC officials were not available for response despite repeated attempts.