KARACHI: Torrential rains and urban flooding have severely disrupted industrial and business activities across Karachi, halting domestic production, delaying export consignments and causing significant financial losses, according to industry leaders.
The downpour damaged infrastructure, drainage networks and utilities, including electricity, internet and telecommunication services, leaving factories, commercial areas and small businesses struggling to operate.
Shaikh Muhammad Tehseen, president of the Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industries (FBATI), said industrial and business operations remain paralysed in multiple industrial and commercial zones. “Many units, especially SMEs in low-lying areas, were inundated by rain and sewage water, damaging consignments stored in warehouses and factories,” he said.
He added that production and trading had come to a standstill for several days, while workers in unaffected areas were unable to reach workplaces due to a lack of public transport. Tehseen urged the government and private sector to devise a joint rescue and emergency plan to mitigate future losses, warning that such disruptions not only slow economic activity but also endanger lives.
Masood Pervaiz, president of SITE Superhighway Association of Industries (SSHAI), said rainwater remains stranded in industrial zones, highways and arterial roads, delaying transportation of raw materials and finished goods. “Restoring production and logistics could take at least a week, particularly in areas worst hit by this season’s heavy rains,” he said.
Pervaiz warned that the city’s crumbling infrastructure and poor crisis response were damaging investor confidence. “Karachi has immense potential to attract local and foreign investment, but the collapse of communication and transport systems sends the wrong signal,” he added, calling for dedicated infrastructure investment and a task force to ensure continuity of economic activity during emergencies.
The e-commerce sector also reported significant losses. Shoaib Bhatti, president of the eCommerce Association -- Karachi Chapter, said major online stores and hundreds of small sellers had suspended operations over the past two days. “Courier and logistics companies have been unable to deliver orders, while power outages and internet disruptions have hit the entire e-commerce ecosystem nationwide,” he said.
Business leaders warned that without immediate government intervention in drainage, transport and utility networks, the economic cost of such weather-related disruptions would continue to rise.
