KFHA power remains disconnected; losses cross Rs600 million

KARACHI: Fishermen at the Karachi Fisheries Harbour have suffered losses of more than Rs600 million, as power supply remained disconnected for the 18th consecutive day on Tuesday, sources informed The News.

Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) ran out of funds and staff salaries in February, and has become uncertain, KFHA managing director said in a letter written to the secretary cooperation department, government of Sindh.

K-Electric had disconnected the power supply to the harbour on March 17 on account of non-payment of huge dues. A total of Rs6.9 million is outstanding against the KFHA till February 2017.

Fishermen at Karachi Fisheries Harbour are suffering losses of around Rs40 million a day, said official sources.

The KFHA MD Ghulam Hussain Memon in his letter on March 30, 2017, wrote to the secretary cooperation that the main reason for the financial crisis of KFHA was the non-payment of electricity charges by the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS).

FCS, for the last two years, has not been paying electricity dues, now accumulated to the tune of Rs29.69 million, up to the billing month of February 2017, the letter said.

“KFHA has paid around Rs29.69 million from salaries of its employees to K-Electric on behalf of FCS, and now because of this, the KFHA is facing severe financial crises. The KFHA is not in a position to pay salary to its staff for the month of February 2017.”

Due to power disconnection, “issuance of crew cards and fishing licenses has come to a halt,” said the letter. “There is complete darkness during the night shift at the Karachi Fish Harbour, which is now vulnerable to any terror/subversive activity.”

According to the record, K-Electric had served disconnection notice to KFHA on February 28, 2017.

“FCS has not been paying electricity dues to KFHA for the last couple of years,” said an official. “Despite serving a series of letters and notices, the FCS paid no heed. KFHA is already short of funds and therefore not in a position to pay K-Electric.”

Due to disconnection, the auctioning system is also affected, where landing of fish as well as auctioning is done from 1:00 am till 6:00 am for marine fisheries. Karachi harbour area does not have a power backup system, since it came under the no-load shedding zone, sources said.

In this season, there is marine fish landing of around 200 tons a day, which is down by 50 percent.

Zar Khan, a leader of Boat Owners Association said the fisheries received catch worth around Rs80 million a day, which is down by 50 percent now.

“Boats are waiting in the sea for restoration of power, as they cannot land the fish in a blackout,” he said. “A generator of FCS ran for around 3-4 hours on Sunday then suddenly stopped.”

Due to staying in the sea, Khan said, quality of fish was deteriorating and their quality grading was coming down.

Suleman, a contractor at the Crate Washing Station, said the station and auction hall were not being washed and were now filled with odour. “Some people are washing the auction hall with dirty sea water, which is combined with Lyari River’s sewage water.”