Low gas pressure continues to trouble Pindiites

Rawalpindi: Interestingly, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) provides full pressure gas in the wee hours from 2:00 am to 5:00 am when majority of families remain in deep slumber. As the time of rising up in the morning comes full gas pressure goes down to almost zero at about 5:15 a.m.

The residents living in tail end parts of Rawalpindi city particularly Adiala Road have strongly complained about discriminatory treatment in terms of gas supply by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

The worst-hit areas in Rawalpindi include Adiala Road, Chaklala Scheme-III, Shamsabad Model Colony, Jan Colony, Munawar Colony, Dhoke Paracha, Azizabad, Tench Batta, Mughalabad, Dboke Chaudhrian, Al-Mumtaz Colony, Ghaziabad Colony, Harley Street Dheri Hassanabad and Jhanda Chichi where people are facing hell like situation for a month.

The residents of Adiala Road, Munawwar Colony, Defence Road, Dhoke Kalhoor and Mubarak Lane are facing zero gas pressure round-the-clock. “What is the benefit of gas in the wee hours time when all people are sleeping,” Rehana Kausar, a resident of Defense Road said. The government should consider the difficulties of public otherwise we will come out on roads, she warned.

Mukhtar Ahmed, a resident of Adiala Road said that SNGPL has failed to prove us gas even on schedule time. The SNGPL promised to provide gas in schedule time but we are facing zero gas pressure round the clock, he denounced. 

Shazia Imran, a resident of Al-Mumtaz Colony rejected the SNGPL claim of providing gas on scheduled timings. "We are using expensive LPG or fire wood for months," she said. She said that they were paying bills without gas. "I wake up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for my family but there is no gas. We are neither getting gas in the morning nor at night," she added.

“The gas authorities consistently send us utility bills against various heads, but without providing gas, which speaks volume of the fact that they (officials) have scant idea about the gas situation in certain areas,” said Abu Bakar, a resident of Dhok Paracha Rawalpindi.

It is worth mentioning here that SNGPL had assured establishment of ‘Land Line System’ to boost up gas pressure even in tail end localities particularly at Adiala Road. But, concerned authority has so far failed to live up to its promise.

The SNGPL General Manager (Rawalpindi Circle) Muhammad Zahoor admitted that people settled in tail-end localities have been facing gas crisis. "We are trying to provide full gas pressure to all localities in Rawalpindi," he claimed. He said that they are working to boost up gas pressure through ‘Land Line System.’