Fuel Crisis Started Affecting Development Works and Operation of Scale Cement Factories

Prolonged fuel crisis has started affecting development works and operation of large scale industries in the district. Large scale cement factories that were planning to launch their products by Feb said fuel shortage has badly impacted their preparations, forcing them to postpone their plans. These industries have the capacity to substantially replace cement imports. Similarly, road expansion project in the district has also been affected. The crisis has rendered thousands of daily wage workers jobless. Entrepreneurs, who were using fuel to supplement the electricity crisis, are now left with no option but to temporarily shut down the operation till the crisis gets over. We were using generator for the industry since there is no regular electricity supply, Bikash Sharma, coordinator of Ghorahi Cement Factory, said. He said works in the factory has been affected since the last month. The factory needs 4, 000 liters diesel everyday. We can work round the clock if we have diesel in sufficient quantity. Now, it is difficult for us to operate for even eight hours, Sharma added. He further added that there would be no alternative to shutting down the factory if the crisis continued for another month. Ghorahi Cement Factory is targeting to produce 120 tons of cement everyday. Sharma said 2, 500 employees of the factory were staying idle. Along with diesel, the factory is also facing shortage of LPG cylinder. According to officials, the factory needs at least 50 cylinders everyday. Officials of Sonapur Cement echoed Sharma We are doing only the works that can be done without machines, Basu Pandey, director of Sonapur Cement, said. As we have not brought our machines into operation owing to lack of diesel, many workers are sitting idle, he added. Sonapur Cement requires 2, 000 liters of petrol everyday to continue its normal work. It was preparing to launch its products in the market within few weeks. Established with the investment of Rs 3.5 billion, the company was targeting to replace cement imports from India by 10 percent. It will start with production capacity of 700 tons a day. Source: uaecement.com