SITE industries face shutdown amid two-week water shortage

KARACHI: President of the SITE Association of Industry Ahmed Azeem Alvi has said that industries in Karachi’s SITE area have received no water supply for the past two weeks, bringing industrial production to a halt.

As a result, workers remain idle and export orders face significant delays. Industries are suffering heavy financial losses due to their inability to meet delivery deadlines, he said in a statement on Saturday.

The acute water shortage has severely affected all industries, particularly textile processing units, which rely heavily on water. Consequently, industrialists have no option but to shut down operations and lay off workers, as supply through tankers is not only extremely expensive but also insufficient.

Alvi stressed, “To sustain industrial operations, we need a reliable water supply at our doorstep. The concerned departments -- SITE Limited and KWSC -- must take immediate action.”

He warned of large-scale layoffs if production cannot resume due to the unavailability of this basic industrial necessity. Currently, against a total requirement of 50 MGD (million gallons per day), the supply barely reaches 2.5 MGD.

Furthermore, the dedicated Hub Canal water supply project, approved to provide 23 MGD to SITE, remains unimplemented. “How can industries support the national economy and earn crucial foreign exchange under these conditions?” he questioned.

Alvi urged Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab to expedite the planned 35 MGD Waste Water Recycling Plant at TP-1, which he said would not only alleviate water shortages but also ensure environmental compliance for foreign buyers.

The SITE president has called on all relevant authorities -- including Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, the MD of KWSC, and the MD of SITE Ltd -- to resolve the water crisis permanently.