About 5,000 small-scale industries (SSI) in and around North Karnataka are facing severe power problems due to “scheduled and un-scheduled” load shedding two to three hours in a day.
The Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has raised the issue with the Government and the ESCOMS. Due to erratic power supply, the manufacturing units in the region have suffered a loss of Rs 225 crore in the last 15 days.
The industrial estates at Gokul, Tarihal in Hubli and Belur in Dharwad account for about 1,500 industries providing jobs to an estimated 15,000 people.
Revenue loss
“Daily revenue loss to the Government in Hubli-Dharwad region is estimated at Rs 1.5 crore and the production loss to the SSIs is around Rs 10 crore-20 crore a day. In addition to these, 15,000 people employed in Hubli-Dharwad are also affected,” said Mr M.C. Hiremath, President, KCCI.
SSis plight
“Under these circumstances, there will be a threat that the SSIs will be on street along with their employees if the State Government does not take measures to resume power supply instead of giving a reason of Telangana crisis,” he added.
Mr K.D. Kotekar, Secretary KCCI, said office bearers have made a representation to the Government to take immediate steps to set right the situation by buying power on war footing to bail out the SSIs.
In Hubli-Dharwad region, a majority of the SSI units are into manufacture of plastic products, valves and other engineering equipment.
Mr Hiremath said “Machines at plastic manufacturing units need at least two hours to get heated by which time the power goes off. The raw material fed into the machine goes waste.”
“As a result of erratic working hours many SSIs are finding it hard to meet supply deadlines and already few SSIs have are in the process of getting blacklisted for not honouring their supply orders,” he added.