Karachi, April 21, 2025 – The SITE Association of Industry (SAI) has raised serious concerns over the intensifying water shortage in Karachi’s SITE Industrial Area, warning of dire consequences for Pakistan’s exports and industrial sustainability.
In a joint statement, SAI Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala, President Ahmed Azeem Alvi, Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh, and Anwer Aziz, Regional Chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), voiced alarm over the inadequate water supply to SITE industries. Despite an allocation of 8 MGD, water supplied by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) via two direct connections to SITE Ltd has drastically decreased, with industries now surviving on low-pressure flow or expensive private water tankers.
Motiwala warned that the crisis has escalated due to falling subsoil water levels, forcing several factories to halt operations altogether. Export-oriented industries, in particular, are suffering severe losses, struggling to fulfill orders and maintain international commitments—putting Pakistan’s trade credibility at risk.
In a high-level emergency meeting of industrialists from SAI and APTPMA, chaired by Motiwala, stakeholders demanded swift government intervention. A dedicated committee, led by Saleem Parekh, has been formed to engage with both federal and Sindh governments to address the growing water emergency.
“The shortage of water is crippling productivity and pushing up production costs, already inflated due to competition from regional economies. Industries are left at the mercy of tanker mafias, which is not sustainable,” said Motiwala. “It is unjust that Karachi’s industrial zones, contributing over 50% of the country’s tax revenue, are consistently neglected.”
Anwer Aziz emphasized that nearly 40% of Pakistan’s textile processing units operate from the SITE area, where water is not a utility but a raw material. Without immediate action, a complete shutdown of value-added textile operations could trigger mass unemployment and social unrest.
Aziz further urged national leadership—including the Prime Minister and Sindh’s top ministers—to take urgent steps to resolve the water crisis and protect industrial output, export commitments, and Pakistan’s economic stability.