Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh and SITE Association of Industry (SAI) President Mohammad Kamran Arbi have urged K-Electric (KE) to immediately ensure proper and full restoration of electricity supply to the biggest industrial zone in Karachi.

Expressing concern over delay in resuming power supply to SITE industries, they pointed out that seven days had passed since a fire incident occurred at the Haroonabad Grid Station, but KE failed to fully restore electricity supply to the industries, which caused hefty losses to the industrialists and took a heavy toll on exports.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, both the KCCI and SAI heads demanded that the KE immediately restore electricity supply so that production activities could return to normal and they could be saved from further losses.

The perturbed industrialists, who had already suffered grave losses because of the unavailability of electricity during the last seven days, were considering approaching the court to seek compensation.

They warned that the suspension of production activities in most of the SITE industries would have a negative impact on the national economy as well as exports, besides adversely affecting the daily-wage workers due to the prolonged production stoppage.

Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, they hoped that KE management would deal with the pressing issue on a war-footing so that electricity supply could be fully restored.

Moreover, almost the entire population of Karachi is distraught by the company’s failure to ensure proper supply, frequent faults and prolonged breakdowns, which have made the lives of locals miserable in sweltering heat.

Karachi is the economic hub of the country, but a large number of industrial units in the biggest industrial zone have been deprived of electricity while growing calls from the industrialists for curbing outages have fallen on deaf ears.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2024.

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