Hyderabad, July 26: The Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry has urged the federal government to take immediate action to address the ongoing electricity shortage in the HESCO region, warning that inadequate power supply from the national grid and repeated transmission failures are severely disrupting industrial, commercial, and business activities across the Hyderabad Division.
In a statement, Chamber President Muhammad Saleem Memon called on Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari to take urgent notice of the situation and ensure an adequate electricity supply to the HESCO region while improving the national transmission system on an emergency basis.
Memon said the Chamber had learned that HESCO previously received around 900 megawatts of electricity from the national grid, but the current allocation had dropped to approximately 550 to 600 megawatts. As a result, HESCO has been forced to implement load management and unscheduled power outages on various feeders.
He added that frequent technical faults and failures in the National Grid transmission system were further disrupting electricity supplies, creating serious challenges for the business community.
According to the Chamber, industries, markets, commercial centres, and small businesses in Hyderabad, Kotri, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, and other HESCO-served areas are suffering significant financial losses due to unreliable electricity and unannounced load-shedding.
Memon said repeated power interruptions were halting production, disrupting commercial activities, leaving machinery idle, and increasing operating costs. He noted that many small and medium-sized businesses lack the financial capacity to rely on alternative power sources such as generators.
Referring to the ongoing monsoon season, the Chamber president warned that the situation could deteriorate further if the transmission network was not properly maintained and weak infrastructure repaired in time.
“If timely maintenance, repairs to weak installations, and emergency measures are not undertaken, the electricity crisis could worsen, affecting not only industry and trade but also ordinary consumers,” he said.
The Chamber called on the federal government to:
- Restore electricity supply to the HESCO region to its previous level.
- Resolve technical issues and bottlenecks in the national transmission system as a priority.
- Minimise forced load-shedding on industrial and commercial feeders wherever possible.
- Strengthen coordination among the Ministry of Energy, the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), and HESCO to ensure a stable and reliable electricity supply.
Memon emphasised that a dependable and uninterrupted electricity supply is essential not only for industry and commerce but also for economic growth, investment, employment, and government revenue.
He expressed hope that the federal government would take prompt and effective measures to permanently address the issue and prevent further disruption to economic activity across the Hyderabad Division.
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