Cold weather causes gas brownouts

Rawalpindi : The chilly weather conditions have caused natural gas brownouts in various parts of the city where residents are also turning towards other alternatives to fulfil their routine requirements.

The areas that are severely affected by low gas pressure included Khurram Colony, Muslim Town, Sadiqabad, Shamsabad, Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Mangtal, Banni, Raja Bazaar, Dhoke Khabba, Asghar Mall and Dhoke Kala Khan.

Shaista Komal, a housewife in Shamsabad, said the low gas pressure has badly affected their routine life especially in the early morning hours and in the evening when the pressure is often reduced to a minimum and it becomes too difficult to cook food.

The complaints of low pressure of the gas in Khurram Colony has started becoming a frequent nuisance for domestic consumers.

“Low gas pressure is a routine matter in our area. So are inflated gas bills in the winter despite cuts in the natural gas supply,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Khurram Colony.

The problem is normally witnessed especially during cooking hours. The people are also facing the problem of low pressure of gas more frequently as reliance on the use of water geysers has increased significantly.

Shafiq Raja, a resident of the Asghar Mall area, said “They are not able to use gas geysers, especially in the morning time. We cannot use this facility when it is greatly needed.”

In the absence of natural gas and due to low pressure, residents resort to using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, which are not only expensive but also require high maintenance.

The people who cannot afford the cylinders has turned towards ‘Taals’ (facilities that provide chopped wood) but it is a cumbersome process for the already exasperated consumers as the inflated price of wood has also increased their misery.