Karachi: Industrial activity in the SITE area of Karachi has come to a complete halt since Friday evening due to the suspension of water supply, raising serious concerns about the impact on the national economy, SITE Association of Industry President Ahmed Azeem Alvi said on Saturday.
In a statement, Mr Alvi warned that the shutdown of Karachi’s industries — the country’s largest revenue-generating sector — could cause severe and irreparable damage not only to Sindh but to Pakistan’s overall economy.
“It is deeply alarming that industries considered the backbone of the national economy have been forced to shut down simply because water is unavailable,” he said, adding that Karachi had effectively been industrially paralysed due to the disruption.
President SITE Association urged Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and the managing director of the Water Board to take immediate steps to restore water supply to industrial areas. He stressed that all issues related to sub-soil water provision should be resolved on a priority basis.
Mr Alvi said that without water from sub-soil sources, industrial operations could not resume, warning that prolonged disruption would lead to factory closures, mass unemployment of workers, and a sharp decline in exports and national income.
He also pointed out that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation was unable to meet industrial water requirements, stating that reliance on the corporation alone was unrealistic as it lacked the capacity to supply water in line with industrial production needs.
Highlighting rising costs, he noted that Karachi already had the highest water, electricity and gas tariffs in the country, and the recent increase in industrial water charges had further exacerbated difficulties for manufacturers.
“The government must decide whether it wants industries to operate or to shut down,” Mr Alvi said. “Either industrial costs are reduced to facilitate business, or escalating tariffs will automatically push industries towards closure.”
He warned that failure to take immediate corrective measures would have consequences far beyond Karachi or Sindh, with serious economic repercussions for the entire country.
Calling for urgent government intervention, Mr Alvi demanded the immediate restoration of industrial water supply to prevent further damage to the national economy.
