Gas shortage hits Pindiites hard amid chilly weather

Rawalpindi : The gas crisis is worsening day-by-day as the consumers are running behind expensive LPG, woods, coal, kerosene oil in the absence of natural gas amid chilly weather. The SNGPL has announced to close down all CNG stations but still gas remains absent most of the day.

Over 40 per cent of ‘tandoors’ have closed down their businesses due to the absence of natural gas while others are buying expensive LPG cylinders or wood.

In the light of present circumstances, LPG sellers are looting the public with both hands and selling 1-kilogram gas at Rs170 to Rs200. The woodcutters also taking full advantage of the present situation and selling 40-kilogram dry wood at Rs800 and 1-kilogram coal at Rs90. The kerosene oil sellers are selling oil in ‘black’ at Rs150 per litre.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Senior General Manager (Rawalpindi Region) Mukhtar Shah told ‘The News’ that there was a big difference in demand and supply in this weather. “We have closed down all CNG stations and increased pressure. We are giving preference to domestic consumers,” he claimed. He said that majority of consumers using gas sucking compressors therefore several consumers remain deprived of natural gas.

All Pakistan Naanbhais Welfare Association President Muhammad Shafiq Qureshi said that SNGPL not providing us gas. “We are buying expensive LPG but it has become unaffordable,” he said. He also admitted that over 40 per cent of tandoors have closed down their businesses due to the absence of natural gas.

The most affected localities are Dhoke Ratta, Saddar, Tench Bhatta, Satellite Town, Al-Mumtaz Colony, Dhoke Juma, Adra, Gulshanabad, Adiala Road, Committee Chowk, Pirwadhai, Dhamial, Defense Road, Shamsabad, Talhi Mohri, Gulrez, Mohallah Hajian, Shah Khalid Colony, Jan Colony, Chamanzar Colony, Jan Colony, Babar Colony, Dhoke Mangtal, Dhok Banaras, Dehri, Chaklala Scheme-III, People’s Colony, Lal Kurti, Dhoke Syedan, Dhoke Chaudhrian, Dhoke Khabba, Umer Road, Dhoke Illahi Bakhsh, Nadeem Colony, Arya Mohallah, Bakra Mandi, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Chur, Allahabad, Chah Sultan, Asghar Mall, Dhoke Munshi, Rehmatabad, Pindora, Banni, City Saddar Road, Kohati Bazaar, Chungi No22, Qasim Market and Tehmasapabad where consumers are facing difficulties due to low or zero gas pressure in their houses.

The consumers have appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of this issue as people could not survive without natural gas.