Jamshedpur: The MSME units in Kolhan division will be forced to stop operations in four days as curtailed supply of industrial gases to the factories has impacted production, entrepreneurs said.“Several small automobile ancillaries ran out of reserve cylinders and some have stocks which would last about three to four 4 days,” said an automobile components manufacturing unit owner Sameer Singh.
He said that even a small ancillary unit requires a minimum of two cylinders of 47.5 kg daily for operations. “About 70% of the ancillaries in the industrial area are small units, so the effect is going to be more,” Singh told TOI.The entrepreneurs said that a majority of the units supply components to automobile companies based in Jamshedpur and other places, while others also supply components to railway and defence organisations.The ancillaries primarily consist of powder coating and fabrication units, continuous-process industries and cathodic electrodeposition units.“The processes of cutting, forging, drying and brazing are fundamental procedures in the manufacturing industry to shape, treat and join metals. These processes require a considerable volume of gases for generating heat,” said entrepreneur Mahesh Sonthalia.The medium enterprises, which source industrial gas from GAIL, are also feeling the pinch.Following the March 9 notification of the central govt, GAIL curtailed supply to the industrial units. “Supply of gas to our industrial customers is being regulated as per the notification of the govt,” said H P Srivastava, senior official, GAIL, Adityapur.Srivastava said that presently consumption of GAIL-supplied gas in the industrial area is 30,000 standard cubic metre (SCM) daily. Industrialist Santosh Khetan said that industrial production will suffer badly if gas supply is stopped completely.“We presume the conflict will not end anytime soon and import of gas will get further crippled. Manufacturing work will get impacted and it will have its ramifications on the jobs and businesses. At least a moderate quota of gas should be fixed for MSMEs,” Khetan said.Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA) president Inder Agarwal said that he wrote to Union petroleum minister Hardip Puri on Tuesday requesting provision of reserving gas for industrial usage.
