Women compelled to use alternates owing to low gas pressure

Islamabad : Low gas pressure in different areas of Rawalpindi especially in the morning hours has multiplied the sufferings of users and women were compelled to adopt unsafe and risky alternate like compressors and cylinders to cook food for their families.

Majority of the women have started using cylinders, compressors and electric roti makers to manage cooking food for their families considering it difficult to afford buying food from restaurants all the time and digest unhealthy food available at markets. Irum Naz, a working woman said, “I started using cylinder last year in winter to cook food for my family but experienced leakage of flammable gas due to loose valve of cylinder after which I stopped using it. While using compressors is also risky and illegal.”

This year, she said she had made it routine to cook food in the midnight when gas pressure turns normal, adding, "and I bought an electric roti maker to make roti but the taste of that Roti is altogether different from the one made on gas". A housewife, Shazia Amin said, "We are paying gas bills on time but are not getting the gas facility. Our children are suffering from seasonal diseases due to cold weather and non-availability of heating facility owing to extreme low pressure of gas".

"We cannot use cylinders all the time due to increased rates of Liquid Petroleum Gas. I refill my cylinder with four kg for around Rs900 which consumes in few days if I use it for heating purposes". It is to be mentioned here that people residing in Waris Khan, Committee Chowk, Dhoke Khaba, Umer Road, Dhoke Ealhi Bukush, Arya Mohallah, Pirwadhai, Adiala Road, Dhoke Syedan, Tench Bhatta, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Shah Khalid Colony, Pindora and Shah Khalid Colony are facing difficulties due to low gas pressure.