Excessive power outage hits industries in Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor
Birgunj, Jan 17: Birgunj-Pathlaiya Industrial Corridor-based business community has called on the state to come up with alternatives to excessive power outage that has put their business on the verge of closure.
Around 2,000 small and big industries are operational in the corridor. Industries here have been marred by double losses caused by the ongoing Madesh agitation and severe power outage, according to Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chair Pradeep Kedia. It is really unfortunate for the industrial sector that the authority concerned does not feel it necessary to come up with alternative arrangements for providing power supply to industries during the severe energy crisis, he said.He also demanded that the government bring out immediate and long term plans to address the severe energy crisis that has hit the entire country including the industrial sector to the core.
A large number of workers associated with the corridor-based industries are likely to become jobless if the no alternative measures were taken immediately to supply power to the corridor for more hours through an alternative channel. Presently, the corridor is being provided electricity just six hours in a day despite the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) promised to provide for eight hours, forcing the industries to significantly slash down production.