KARACHI, Oct 5: Insufficient gas pressure has been hitting production activities in many industrial estates for the last few months, while several captive power generating units have also stopped operation.

Many industrialists fear to miss their export targets if such situation persists in future which is set to cause huge loss of foreign exchange earnings and revenue to the national kitty. Besides, a number of industries have been facing daily closure due to low supply of gas.

In a joint meeting with MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) Azim Iqbal Siddiqui on Thursday, chairmen of all industrial associations of Karachi were highly concerned over low gas pressure.

The production in industrial areas, particularly SITE, Karachi badly suffered. SITE being the 38 per cent revenue earning estate of Pakistan will be forced down to closure, effecting more than 500,000 labors and unemployment of labor may further lead to deteriorate the law and order situation in the city.

It was unanimously agreed by all the associations’ chairmen that industries would follow the total gas closure for next two Sundays. After that if proper supply of gas is not improved they would be constrained to enforce our constitutional rights for proper

supply of gas to the industries of the Sindh province with in the constitutional parameters.

They further determined to enforce their rights through proper legal course and a high powered committee shall be formed to do the needful.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Arshad A. Vohra, Muhammad Irfan Moton, Salim Parekh from SITE Association of Industry, Jawed Bilwani from PHMA, M. Haroon Shamsi, Masroor Ahmed Alvi from FB Area Association, Aslam Rayaz from SITE Super Highway Association, Aslam Chughtai from North Karachi Association, Ziad Bashir from Landhi Association, Ehteshamuddin from Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Muhammad Ahmed, Patron in chief Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI) and Vice chairman BQATI Abdul Rasheed Jan Mohammad.

The SSGC, in a statement on Friday, said reduction in supply of natural gas from the producers due to technical and operational reasons has persistently resulted in creating a low pressure situation which has adversely affected the overall supply in SSGC’s franchise areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, SSGC is regularly practicing one day gas shutdown every Sunday for all industrial and captive power customers in Sindh.

The gas supply for all industrial units and captive power plants in Sindh will remain closed for a 24-hour period starting from 7am on Sunday, October 7 to 7 am on Monday, October 8, 2012.

SSGC’s surveillance teams are responsible for ensuring strict compliance of the shut down schedule and have also been fully authorised to disconnect gas supply for 48 hours of any customer found violating the above mentioned schedule.

SSGC believes that this closure will enable supply of gas to stabilise pressure during the coming week.