Gas shortage in monsoon hits Pindiites hard

Rawalpindi : The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has badly failed to provide natural gas for domestic users even in the peak summer season as the majority of areas of the city have been facing absence of gas for over a week but the concerned has done nothing to rectify the situation. Long queues of people could be seen on all ‘tandoors’ and hotels to buy roti and salan at skyrocketing prices here on Friday.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) General Manager (Rawalpindi Region) Mukhtar Shah told ‘The News’ that consumers were facing gas shortages due to rainy weather. There is a big difference in demand and supply in cloudy weather, he said. He said that we are trying to provide natural gas in all areas.

However, some key post officers from SNGPL on condition of anonymity told ‘The News’ that the concerned department has stopped the supply of natural gas to domestic users to provide benefits to nearby industries and CNG pumps. The officers also alleged that corrupt officers were taking full benefit against it, the sources disclosed.

The LPG sellers were also making money and selling gas in ‘black’ at skyrocketing rates of Rs300 per kilogram. The government has also increased the prices of LPG gas and fixed it at Rs260 per kilogram but dealers were taking full advantage of the present situation and selling the commodity in ‘black’.

The areas of Bakramandi, Sher Zaman Colony, Shah Faisal, Shah Khalid, Adiala Road, Qasim Market, Misriyal, Chakra, Satellite Town, Jhanda, Mareer Hasan, Saleha Street, Munawar Colony, Mubarak Lane, Dhoke Juma, New Lalazar, Tahli Mohri, Defence Road, Dhoke Kala Khan, Gulistan Colony, Naik Alam, Dhoke Manga Khan, Kashmir Colony, Gulshanabad, Dhamyal, Quaid-e-Azam Colony, Scheme-III, Dhok Ratta, Arya Mohalla, Tipu Road, Lalkurti, Tench Bhatta, Jan Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Dhok Munshi, Rehmatabad, Dhoke Banaras, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Tipu Road, Raheemabad and several other localities are facing the absence of gas for over a week.

Muttahida Naanbhais Welfare Association (MMWA) President Muhammad Shafiq Qureshi said that they were using LPG cylinders in absence of natural gas. The majority of naanbhais have closed their businesses because they could not purchase expensive LPG, he claimed.

The consumers of affected localities are protesting in front of the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) office on regular basis but in vain. The protesters raised slogans against SNGPL and demanded the provision of full pressure gas. “What will happen in the winter season,” Sajid Ali, one of the protesters bemoaned.

Talking to ‘The News’ consumers of all areas have appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to provide them with at least the basics of life, like natural gas, electricity, and water. How we could survive without all these basics of life, people questioned. They also said that they were facing crises one after another with every passing day for over four years.