Site industrialists organise rally against low gas pressure

Karachi
The SITE Association organised a rally at Fawara Chowk near the Governor’s House on Friday to lodge its protest against the low pressure of gas supply to the industrial area.
Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, the association’s president, said the gas pressure had been very low in the SITE industrial area for the last two days.
“The industries in SITE have remained without gas for 13 days in January and 43 days since October 1 last year,” he added.
Bilwani said SITE was the oldest and largest industrial area of the country.
“The foundation-stone of the first industry was laid by the Quaid-e-Azam himself on September 26, 1947 in the SITE industrial area,” he pointed out.
“The first gas pipeline was laid in SITE, but sadly, despite Sindh being the largest producer of gas in the country, its industries are kept deprived of this essential commodity,” he added.
The SITE Association president said it was impossible for industries to run their production because of gas shortage and were failing to meet their export commitments.
“When the deadline crosses, foreign buyers don’t lift the goods and we also lose orders for the next season,” he said.
The first gas field in the country was discovered in 1952 and the production started in 1955. From 1955 to 1970, the government’s policy for gas utilisation focused on industries and power generation. In 1970, the share of households was only two percent while the share of gas for industries and the power sector was 25 percent and 36.5 percent respectively.
“In the 70s, there was a shift in policy and gas was supplied to small towns and villages at a nominal rate and from 1988 onwards, the supply was irrationally prioritised in the favour of the domestic sector,” said Bilwani.
“As a result of this change in policy, in 2012 the share of gas for households swelled to 21 percent while that for industries and the power sector dropped to 23 percent and 28 percent respectively.”
The gas pipeline in SITE was mainly installed to provide gas to industries but the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) used it to benefit CNG stations.
“These CNG stations suck all the gas from the pipelines,” Bilwani noted.
He demanded that there should separate pipelines for supplying gas to industries in SITE.
“The SSGC has given permission to operate 34 CNG stations in SITE, violating the mandatory distance required under the law and resulting in low pressure of gas to industries and other consumers,” he said.
“These industries are not only responsible for a large amount of the government’s revenue, but also providing millions of jobs.”
Bilwani also regretted that there no was implementation on Article 158 of the constitution that read: “The priority of requirements of natural gas for the province in which the wellhead of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from the well-head, subject to the commitments and obligations as on the commencing day.”
He feared that if the SITE industries were not provided with gas, it could result in mass closures and flight of capital abroad. This, he added, would also leave thousands of workers jobless.

‘Effective steps’
The SSGC said in a press release that as a result of curtailed gas supply from Bhit and Naimat Basal gas fields, an overall shortfall of 40 mmcfd was recorded in its system.
Because of this shortage, the SSGC’s supply was affected and the utility received low pressure complaints from Karachi and the rural parts of the province.
The SSGC said it was making efforts to improve the supply. It added that gas supply to power generation companies including the K-Electric and Wapda had been curtailed to increase the pressure.
It has also been decided that CNG stations in the province would remain closed on Friday and open on Saturday.