14-hour unscheduled power outages in industrial areas

LAHORE - The Lahore Electric Supply Company is not fulfilling its commitment of observing six-hour power cut rather 10 to 12 hours nonstop power outages have become a routine matter in most of localities in city.
Likewise 12 to 14 hours unscheduled power shutdowns in industrial areas against the timetable of four-hour load management programme is being carried out, bringing the whole industry to a standstill, industrialists said.
They observed that Lesco had announced the four-hour laod management programme but the company was not following its own schedule.
They observed that Lesco was not fulfilling either its commitment of observing maximum one-hour power cut rather three to four hours incessant power outages have become a routine matter in most of areas.
Industrialists demanded the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of power to the industrial units.
The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) demanded the government to take immediate measures to save the country's industry from 12 to 14 hours loadshedding, which is killing the entire industry.
PIAF Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh in a statement said that due to shortage of electricity both the large scale and small industry were in dire straits and the graph of unemployment was going up with every passing day while exports were on the decline and trade deficit was widening and if timely measures were not taken, the situation would get out of hands.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that the government was well aware of the shortage of electricity when it took over but unfortunately no special measures could be taken so far.
The PIAF Chairman said that at the moment when the global recession was staring in the eyes of Pakistan's economy, the shortage of electricity was adding fuel to fire. He said that cut in production by industrial units was affecting the export orders to the maximum.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh appealed to the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani to look into the matter and take necessary action for ensuring uninterrupted supply of the electricity to the industry.
Industrialists from QIE said that unannounced load shedding was hitting the industrial production hard. They said that country had not been achieving the export target for last two years and if the situation remains the same, it would be very difficult to achieve the export target set for progressing financial year. They said that most of the industrial units were not able to execute the export orders due to loadshedding. They said that that closure of the industrial units would deprive thousands of people of their jobs while government would also lose huge revenue.
They said that the government should take energy crises very seriously and make both long-term and short term plans to resolve this problem. He stated that long term plan include utilizing all hydel resources by building big water reservoirs and power generation units which is a cheaper way to produce energy.
He said that Pakistan should also go for alternative energy resources like other countries. He mentioned that Germany are producing more than 21000 MW and while India are producing more than 7000 MW power through wind energy.
He urged the government to take immediate measure otherwise industrial sector would be fully destroyed.