KARACHI – In a Press Statement issued on November 28, M. Jawed Bilwani, Chairman, SITE Association of Industry has shown his utter dismay and disappointment over the non-supply of water to industries in general and industries of SITE in particular. He said that despite clear-cut and strict orders to KW&SB and constitution of a Committee under the chairmanship of Commissioner, Karachi Division and the decision of the Committee to supply the water were also not implemented. Similar orders by Sharjeel Memon, Minister for Local Government are also not being complied with. He further said that water supply to SITE has come to almost less than one million gallons and there is no water supply since Monday and today the entire industries of SITE have closed down. Under these circumstances, the industrialists have opted to use sub-soil water to run their units and now they are also being stopped forthwith to use such type of water and thus the industries have totally closed down.
M. Jawed Bilwani, Chairman, SITE Association of Industry expressed the fear that hundreds of thousands of labourers would be unemployed further worsening the law & order situation. It would also tarnish the image of Pakistan in international markets for not fulfilling the committed shipment dates. He appealed to the Governor, Chief Minister of Sindh and Mr. Sharjeel Memon, Minister for Local Government to urgently intervene to save the industries from total collapse. He further said that the supply of eight million gallons per day to SITE is not a big deal. Total water supply to Karachi is about 550 million gallons even in the absence of Hub Dam’s supply. Supply to SITE industries out of 550 million gallons makes 1.25 percent of the water available. He appealed to the above dignitaries that since total pilferage and line losses are to the tune of more than 50 per cent and demand of the SITE industrial area is 1.25 per cent, therefore, it is a simple mathematics and is no rocket science. According to him, an action can save more than 200,000 jobs which has to be taken on the most urgent basis. He said that he has also sent SOS messages to the Governor, Chief Minister and the concerned Minister for their immediate action. He further said that the other source of sub-soil water also needs to be streamlined and restored immediately.