Govt lifts ban on new gas connections for high rise buildings

ISLAMABAD:  The government has lifted the moratorium on new gas connections in high rise buildings and to this effect the notification is on the cards. However, the ban will remain there when it comes to the new housing societies.

Prime Minister Nawaza Sharif accorded approval to the summery of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources seeking the uplifting of ban on gas connections to high rise buildings, federal minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told The News. The minister clarified saying that chief executive of the country had approved the summary prior to his departure to London.

The moratorium was imposed on the gas connections to high rise buildings, new development schemes and new housing societies because of gas deficit in the last era of Pakistan People’s Party.

When asked for the rationale behind the decision to lift the ban on gas connection to high rise buildings, the minister said that there are 10 high rise buildings in Karachi which needed the gas connections, but owing to the moratorium 4 high rise buildings out of 10 were deprived of the gas.

Both the gas companies- Sui northern and Sui southern had also recommended to the government for erasing the ban on gas connections to high rise buildings arguing that with the import of LNG of 440 mmcfd per day, there is now room to accommodate the high rise buildings.

The minister said that giving the connections to the said high rise buildings alone requires 3 mmcfd  gas per day.  However, the Sui Southern will supply the gas to high rise buildings up to certain point, but the builders of the buildings will be responsible for all safety measures. As far as the moratorium on new gas connections for new housing societies are concerned, the minister said that the ban is very much there and to this effect there is no change at all.

The country’s gas production stands at 4 billion cubic feet per day whereas the immediate demand is 6 bcfd.  However, 400 mmcfd LNG is being imported. “So the ban on new gas connections for new housing societies is very much there,” the minister said.