Muhammad Saleem

Faisalabad is considered as the mainstay of the national economy, primarily because of its textile industry. The dyeing sector plays a crucial role in driving the entire textile chain. However, this sector is facing water shortages, impacting its performance. Dr Sajjad Arshad, acting president of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed the need for the introduction of waterless dyeing technology, and urged the public and private sector institutions to come forward to explore and implement such methods. He told WealthPK that he recently met with officials of Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC) and raised the water scarcity issue being confronted by the dying sector of Faisalabad. He said the officials assured him that they would launch efforts to support the dying sector. TUSDEC was established in 2005 to ensure technology and skills development in key industrial sectors of Pakistan. It works under the Ministry of Industries and Production. Arshad said being the representative body of the business community FCCI was raising their genuine issues at the appropriate forums.

"Now it's the duty of the officials concerned to ensure necessary remedial measures to avoid any untoward situation in future." He said waterless dyeing technology was an innovative approach allowing the application of colour to fabric by consuming minimal amounts of water. "Technologies like waterless dyeing must be implemented immediately," he noted. An official of the Water and Sanitation Agency, Faisalabad, said the industrial district was facing a shortage of potable water as the groundwater was saline. He mentioned that the dyeing sector needed plenty of water to process raw fabric, but the company was unable to meet its surging demand. He said Wasa was bringing potable water from Chiniot – an adjacent district of Faisalabad. "We also support the adoption of waterless technology in the textile sector, providing jobs to millions of people," he added. "Everybody is aware that water scarcity will emerge as a significant issue in future, and the situation demands immediate remedial measures," he said.

He pointed out that problems in the textile sector would surely have a ripple effect on the entire business chain of the country. The Wasa official said more than 400 industrial connections in the aquifer connections category had registered with the utility. Nasir, a textile exporter, sharing his perspective on the issue, told WealthPK that regional countries were adopting modern technologies to propel their textile sector to the next level. "However, in Pakistan, we are still grappling with decades-old issues instead of exploring and adopting the latest trends." He said people at the helm of affairs were oblivious to this grave issue. "Our traditional approaches to fabric dyeing need a huge amount of water, which is declining by the day. It is time we turned to technologies that need no water for dyeing fabric," Nasir stressed.  He said multiple factors, including inefficient management of water utilisation, surging population and urbanisation, led to water scarcity in Faisalabad.

INP: Credit: INP-WealthPk