SSGC clarifies reports on gas loadshedding

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has rejected the reports claiming that it had resumed gas loadshedding during daytime in southern parts of the country.

In a statement on Thursday, the gas utility said there is no truth to the reports on media and social media that the company had notified gas shutdown hours in the afternoon.

It said the underground gas line pack was affected due to low pressure which impacted gas supply in some areas of Karachi and restored by 6am.

The statement further mentioned that 10% annual depletion in the country's gas reserves has further decreased amount of gas received by the SCCGC due to which demand and supply gap has increased even in summer.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, the gas utility said a sudden drop in gas pressure may be experienced by consumers as it happened the previous day.

However, speaking to Geo.tv residents of Gulistan-e-Jouhar, North Karachi and other areas rejected the SSGC claims saying that they had been experiencing gas loadshedding for the last couple of days.

In April this year, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik had said that the masses cannot get gas 24/7, attributing a drop in the commodity's reserves as a major reason.

Pakistan is highly reliant on natural gas for energy, and with rising demand and insufficient supply, loadshedding has become a daily occurrence in many parts of the country.

This scenario worsens during winter and Ramadan when Pakistanis use more gas for cooking and other reasons, especially during sehri and iftar timings.

The issue of gas shortage in Karachi had also caught Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's attention, and he directed relevant officials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the commodity.