INDUSTRIAL activity in Hyderabad and Kotri is at the lowest ebb and local industrialists see no ray of hope for its revival.

While new investment seems to be a far cry, the existing units are faced with a host of problems affecting their production.

Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), primarily responsible to ensure proper infrastructure in Site, Kotri and Hyderabad, has failed to provide any relief.

The cancellation of licences by Site of 48 units of Kotri and the litigation for draining affluent into Kalri Baghar feeder has made matters worse for them, say industrialists. Courts are seized of this litigation separately and industrialists view no immediate solution to these issue.

Industrialists are worried about their survival of business in the wake of worsening problems including frequently interrupted supply of gas, electricity and water. Some blame uncertain government policies as a major cause for slackness in industrial activity.

SITE, Hyderabad, has 280 units including some sick ones and suffers from poor civic infrastructure. Chief Engineer Waheed Sheikh, however, defends SITE's performance.

He said, a Rs475 million water filtration plant – a long standing demand of local industrialists - is being erected in Hyderabad while another mega project of water supply line of 5MGD form Keenjhar Lake to Nooriabad is under execution. He points out that an effluent treatment plant worth Rs667 million is being set up in Kotri.

“These are mega projects under implementation and will be completed by next year,” he says.

He concedes that some roads are damaged but these would be repaired for which a scheme is pending for approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

The road infrastructure, in a pretty bad shape in Hyderabad SITE, makes movement of containers impossible. SITE, Hyderabad, says a factory owner Amin Khatri,. The area often remains plunged into darkness. “We don't think that under the present situation we will be able to survive in export market which we are fast losing,” remarks Khatri, a motorbike manufacturer in Hyderabad.

He says there is no policy for industrial sector. “Our utility bills have swelled and the energy crisis has made it next to impossible for us to meet our international export commitments,” he adds.

According to him, shipments are not delivered on time to the buyers and as a result the orders are quite often cancelled.

The textile sector is perturbed over recent surge in cotton prices. It would make yarn production and export less profitable.

A Hyderabad Site Association office-bearer said the existing units were working almost as sick ones and were not sure about their future. “SITE hasn't ensured adequate development of infrastructure, for which they charge factories and mills though it has increased its own expenses by appointing more staff which remains mostly absent from office,” he says.

The complaints of mills or factory owners about civic infrastructure in Kotri Site are the same. This Site houses 84 big or small units.

Open-end spinning mills that produce yarn from cotton have mostly closed due to increasing cost of conversion and according to Kotri's Tauqir Tariq, small factories dealing in rice, pulses, oil and flour are working.

“We get unfiltered water for which we pay to the Site. Now whose job is this to provide us clean water? They do recover sanitation and water supply charges from us”, complains a mill owner.

Chairman Kotri Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Umer Hayat deplores that industrialisation is not flourishing and going through a difficult phase whereas no government support is available for it.

“We are confronted with security issues and undue political interference as well,” he said.

He added that while big industrial units are working, small industry is struggling to survive, facing a host of problems.