Ambala factories left high & dry after Tangri floods

After the water has been drained out, employees of different units situated at the Industrial Estate in Ambala Cantonment can be seen clearing the trail of large-scale damages left in the form of ruined ready to dispatch goods, office equipment and soiled machines, furniture and raw material.

The overflowing Tangri river had left the HSIIDC Industrial Estate flooded with around 6-8 ft of water inside the units and on roads. Even in 2023, similar scenes were witnessed at the Industrial area.

Kapil Verma, a scientific apparatus manufacturer, said “The water and heavy soil have caused severe damage to the equipment and machines as they remained under water for days. It may take more than a month to resume operations. After the 2023 losses, we were still reviving and again, the Tangri has left us empty-handed. The finished goods, raw material and the packaging material have been destroyed. The units here prepare microscopes, diagnostic and educational products for medical colleges and hospitals, besides a wide range of other products.”

“The clients have started cancelling the orders and it is going to be a big loss for us because once the clients shift to other markets, it becomes difficult to bring them back. In view of the repeated losses, we have planned to shift our units from Ambala Cantonment to Saha and the government should provide us the plots at subsidised rates”, he added.

Besides expressing a desire to relocate to other places, the industrialists also demand opening of the e-Kshatipurti portal to allow the industrialists raise claims for unsecured goods. Another unit owner said, “As the industrial area has suffered losses twice in three years, the insurance companies have started refusing renewal of the insurance covers. Such a situation will cause more trouble for the industrialists.”

Alok Sood, a scientific apparatus manufacturer and secretary of the Ambala Chapter of Haryana Chamber of Commerce, said, “We were already facing a stiff challenge from China in the local as well as international markets, and the tariffs imposed by the US had also impacted the business. Though we were expecting to tide over the challenges created by the tariffs in near future, the flooding has brought the entire industrial area to a halt. It may take a couple of months to resume operations at full capacity as we have to wait for the insurance companies to complete the survey and then wait for the engineers to repair the sophisticated and costly machines. We estimate the losses of the industrial area to the tune of around Rs 400- 500 crore, besides the losses already suffered, there will be production loss too.”

Meanwhile, the industrialists through different representations to the state and Central governments have sought relief for the manufacturers in the industrial area. The industrialists have demanded early construction of an already sanctioned RCC wall around all four sides of the industrial estate, construction of a bundh on the eastern side of the Tangri river, and desilting of the Tangri by at least 10 ft to ensure smooth flow of water.

Dr Ashawant Gupta, Chairman of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ambala Chapter, in representations to the government has sought waiving of the fixed electrical charges for September, declare Industrial Area flood-affected zone, consideration for special economic relief packages, deferment of statutory compliance and utility dues, and a three-month extension for filing of PF and ESI returns and associated payments as the entire records and computers have been rendered unusable due to water damage.

Puneet Jain, who also owns industrial units, said, “The government and the administration have learnt no lessons from the past. We had to wait for days for the water to be drain out and it left the raw material, prepared goods, equipment and machines completely damaged. There is a loss of around Rs 3-4 crore. Getting insurance claims passed is a mammoth task and we have faced a similar situation in 2023 too. The industrialists are in no position to suffer the losses repeatedly, and we are left with no other option but to relocate from here. The local and export orders are getting cancelled and people are losing faith. Along with the scientific goods manufacturers, there are pharma companies, furniture manufacturers, and other business units here, and we are all facing a similar situation.”

Meanwhile, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij, said, “The concerns of the industrialists are genuine and the government has been taking all measures to protect the industry as it provides employment to thousands of people here. Directions have been issued to all the departments concerned to coordinate and restore normalcy. The government will help the industrialists in all possible manner and resolve their grievances. The HSIIDC will prepare a blueprint for laying the stormwater drainage lines. The industrialists have expressed a desire to relocate, for which the process of acquiring nearly 2,600 acres of land adjacent to the Saha Growth Centre will soon be resumed.”