SITE industrialists decry severe water shortage

KARACHI: Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala; Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh; President Ahmed Azeem Alvi of the SITE Association of Industry and APTPMA Regional Chairman Anwer Aziz have expressed grave concern over the precarious water supply situation in the SITE industrial area, citing significantly reduced supply from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to SITE Limited via two direct connections. The area is supposed to receive eight million gallons of water per day (MGD).

However, the supply has been either curtailed or delivered at extremely low pressure, forcing industries to rely on limited quantities of water obtained through private tankers. The situation has worsened due to a decline in subsoil water availability, resulting in the closure of several factories. The acute shortage is severely affecting all industries, particularly export-oriented units, which are facing substantial losses and delays in fulfilling export orders -- placing the country’s trade reputation at risk.

In today’s highly competitive global market, the cost of production -- already higher than that of regional competitors -- has increased dramatically as industries are compelled to purchase water from the so-called tanker mafia. The water crisis has paralysed industrial and commercial operations in the area.

In response to the escalating crisis, a joint emergency meeting of industrialists from the SITE Association of Industry and the All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) was convened under the chairmanship of M Zubair Motiwala at the SITE Association’s office. Motiwala warned that the ongoing water crisis would negatively affect the country’s export targets and foreign exchange earnings. He added that despite Karachi’s industrial zones contributing nearly 50 per cent of the nation’s tax revenue, they continue to be neglected by the authorities.

A special committee, chaired by Saleem Parekh, has been formed to engage with the federal and Sindh governments on the matter. Prominent participants included Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhary, M Iqbal Arbi, M Karman Arbi, M Iqbal Lakhany, Altaf Shekhani, among others.

APTPMA Regional Chairman Anwer Aziz pointed out that around 40 per cent of Pakistan’s textile processing industries are located in the SITE area, where water is a critical raw material -- especially for value-added textiles. A sustained lack of water, he cautioned, could lead to a complete shutdown of operations, resulting in widespread unemployment and industrial unrest. He further highlighted that the new reciprocal tariff arrangements with the US could hurt Pakistan’s textile exports due to higher production costs. Referring to the 90-day reprieve granted by US President Trump, he urged stakeholders and the government to use this window to address deficiencies in the supply of water, power, and gas. Any disruption in textile production, he noted, would derail delivery schedules and impact shipments of finished goods.