Under pressure: Gas outage hits city even as PHC orders implementation of 2005 policy

Load-shedding, gas disconnection leaves locals at mercy of winter

PESHAWAR: A division bench of Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and other authorities to implement the 2005 gas policy and give preference to the domestic sector. On the same day the court issued this order,

the supply of gas was suspended to Peshawar, while outages added to the miseries of locals.

Justices Yahya Afridi and Roohul Amin were hearing writ petitions filed by residents of Peshawar, including Shaifullah, Tariq Ahmad and others. The judges were informed through Advocate Shahnawaz Khan that consumers were facing immense problems with
low pressure.

The 2005 policy dictates providing gas to domestic users was the first and foremost priority, Shahnawaz said. He argued authorities were not implementing the policy and asked the court to issue an order which would put an end to low pressure in the domestic sector.

The bench, after hearing the arguments, directed the authorities to implement the 2005 gas policy and ordered SNGPL, as well as other authorities, to file replies by January 21.

Bad timing

Gas supply to Peshawar city was disconnected Thursday evening as SNGPL’s main transmission line in Tarnab developed a technical fault. Mosques in certain areas of the city advised people to turn off their gas appliances to avoid any mishap.

SNGPL General Manager Arbab Saqib confirmed to The Express Tribune the supply was disconnected due to technical faults in the main transmission line at Tarnab and teams were working on fixing the fault. “Gas supply is expected to be restored in the next three to four hours,” Saqib said.

Power out

The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has increased the duration of power outages in the city. However, Pesco officials call it a “temporary increase” and identified the canal cleaning drive and water shortfall at hydroelectric dams in winter for the outages.

Locals complained Pesco increased the duration of these outages starting last Friday. “Load-shedding in our area used to be four to five hours a day,” said Mohammad Manzoor, a resident of Gulbahar. “However since Friday, power goes for an hour after every two hours.”

Manzoor also had problems with the timings, saying his children’s studies were being affected as they had to prepare for exams.

Kashifullah, a resident of Naway Kalay, and Shoaib Jamil, from Charsadda Road, had similar complaints.
They added the outages lasted more than 12 hours in their areas.

Commenting on the recent increase in the duration, Pesco Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal said this was a temporary phase. Afzal said the canal-cleaning drive across the country caused a shortfall and Pesco was carrying out outages according to the power utility’s needs.

“The dams are also facing a shortfall due to winter and we hope the situation will improve within 10 days.”

A senior energy official, requesting anonymity, said a letter had been written to the Pesco chief executive. He was asked to stop “the unscheduled, unannounced and unprecedented load-shedding because it affected the province’s revenue.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2016.