Stoves run out of gas as rain turns weather chillier

Rawalpindi : The situation for natural gas in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad has reached the level of desperation as even the gas sucking compressors have failed to help the families using them for keeping their stoves burning as the weather turned chillier following rain since Monday night.

The areas of Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Chakra, Satellite Town, Friends Colony, Committee Chowk, Jhanda, Mareer Hasan, Adiala Road, Sher Zaman Colony, Banni, Asghar Mall, Saddar, Munawar Colony, Mubarak Lane, Dhoke Juma, New Lalazar, Tahli Mohri, Defence Road, Saleha Street, Dhoke Kala Khan, Naik Alam, Dhoke Manga Khan, Adra, Chaman Zar, Scheme-III, Garibabad, Kashmir Colony, Gulshanabad, Bakramandi, Dhamyal, Quaid-e-Azam Colony, Arya Mohallah, People’s Colony, Misriyal, Christian Colony, Tipu Road, Lalkurti, Tench Bhatta, Jan Colony and several other localities are facing zero gas pressure in rain.

According to Meteorological Office, Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain under cloudy weather and severe cold waves till Monday.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) key post officers on condition of anonymity said that there was no gas in the system for supplying consumers. It was due to poor management of the government in winter, they claimed. They also said that consumers of all areas would face the worst situation in the coming days. The government has also warned officers from talking to media persons and telling them of the factual position, they said.

The residents of affected localities are facing difficulties in cooking meals while several ‘tandoors’ have stopped selling ‘roti’ in absence of natural gas. Some ‘tandoors’ are using LPG and selling ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ but at higher than the official rates.

Rawalpindi-Islamabad Naanbais Welfare Association President Muhammad Shafiq Qureshi admitted that more than 40 per cent of ‘tandoors’ have closed down due to the absence of natural gas, expensive LPG, over billing and rising prices of ‘atta’. He strongly denounced the unofficial increase in gas cylinder prices as the dealers have increased commercial gas cylinders from Rs5,200 to Rs6,500. The 40-kilogram dry woods is being sold at Rs850, one-kilogram coal at Rs100, one litre kerosene oil at Rs150 and one kilogram LPG is being sold at Rs250 to Rs280.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Senior General Manager Mukhtar Ali Shah told ‘The News’ that they are trying to provide full pressure gas to all areas. “We are facing the problem of demand and supply. The consumers use gas heaters in winter season therefore consumers of some areas face low to zero gas pressure,” he claimed.