‘Demand for electric geysers up by 30 per cent due to gas crisis’

Karachi’s residents are facing sporadic gas outages and low gas pressure, making their lives miserable during this year’s cold spell, as is evident by the rise in the demand for electric geysers by a whopping 30 per cent and for electric hotplates by 15 per cent in comparison to last winter.

Citing these figures, Karachi Electronics Dealers Association President Muhammad Rizwan Irfan told The News that mostly families have been make their way to markets in search of electric geysers and hotplates.

“If people don’t have gas at home, how are they supposed to cook?” he said, adding that during winter one needs hot water, and most of the people in Karachi use gas geysers for that.

Aslam Khan, who works at the electronics market in Ayesha Manzil, said: “Two to three electric geysers are being bought from our shop on a daily basis.”

He said that at the very least, customers, most of whom are families, come to the market to ask about the prices and manufacturers of electric geysers and hotplates while complaining of massive gas load shedding in the city.

Many residential as well as commercial areas of the city have been facing gas outages. They include Lyari, Lines Area, Malir, Surjani Town, Korangi and New Karachi.

Intermittent low gas pressure has been reported in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Golimar, Defence View Phase I, DHA, Clifton, PECHS, Saadi Town, Gulshan-e-Maymar, New Karachi, Quaidabad, North Karachi, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Malir’s Jafar-e-Tayyar, Saudabad, Khokhrapar, Kharadar and Martin Quarters.

Without proper gas supply, it has become immensely difficult for early risers like North Nazimabad resident Muhibullah to get ready for work. “We don’t have gas supply the entire night. Early in the morning, the pressure is extremely low. One needs to shower before going to the office.”

He said that the geysers being used in Karachi mostly runs on gas, adding that the only time during the entire day when they receive gas with proper pressure is in the afternoon.

Federal B Area resident Qurat Khan said they have had extremely low gas pressure for the past many days, due to which they don’t have any option but to order food online or have takeaway. “We don’t even have enough gas pressure to heat the leftovers.” Most of the weddings in Karachi take place in December. Many residents of the East, South and Central districts in particular have been facing problems in getting ready for wedding ceremonies or making proper wedding arrangements due to gas load shedding.

Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 9 resident Mehtaab Ali, who has been having wedding ceremonies at home, said the gas load shedding is a bit unprecedented for the people of the city. “We have guests from abroad. People need to bathe with hot water, for which we need proper supply of gas.”

He pointed out that while his family has had to spend a lot of money on the wedding, they have had to incur the additional expense of an electric geyser that they have rented.

North Karachi Sector 11-A resident Arsalan Ali said they don’t have gas pressure at all between 11pm and 8am. “On a daily basis, along with dinner, my mother also makes tea and breakfast, which we then heat in the microwave in the morning.”

He lamented that one can’t even perform ablution due to the cold weather. “We fear the severity of this crisis in January, when usually cold and gusty winds blow and the demand for gas increases drastically.”

Korangi Association of Trade & Industry President Danish Khan, however, said they aren’t facing any gas load shedding, especially since the government has started supplying them CNG (compressed natural gas) mixed with RLNG (regasified liquefied natural gas).

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) said in a press statement that due to the increased demand of gas because of a cold spell facing the entire country, the gas company has been facing many difficulties in supplying gas to their industrial and residential consumers.

After gas shortages were reported in different parts of the country, the SSGC decided to close CNG stations across Sindh and Punjab over the weekend to meet the demands of residential consumers.

The SSGC spokesperson said CNG stations in Sindh will be closed for 24 hours while those in Punjab will remain closed for two days, adding that gas supply for industries through generator connections is also being reduced by 50 per cent.