Balochistan without gas for third straight day

Repair work ends, but regular supply not restored yet

QUETTA: People in Quetta and northern parts of Balochistan continued to suffer in sub-zero weather for the third consecutive day as gas supply could not be completely restored on Tuesday.

The gas supply was suspended in 14 districts of Balochistan after a fire broke out in Dera Bugti Purification Plant causing the boilers to stop working.

Sui Southern Gas Company supplies gas to 14 out of total 32 districts of Balochistan which were affected after the boiler broke down following the fire eruption. Baloch militants claimed that they had fired rockets on the purification plant. However, official sources said it was a technical fault.

According to Meteorological Department, minus four degree Celsius was recorded in Quetta while temperature also remained below the freezing point in Ziarat, Kalat, Qila Abdullah and other upland of Balochistan.

There was no gas supply to many areas of Balochistan while some were experiencing low gas pressure. “We are facing immense hardship as there was no gas to warm the room in this harsh weather,” said Abdul Qayyum, a resident of Quetta. People in Quetta switched to firewood to prepare their food.

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Balochistan said repair work has been concluded but it would take some 12 more hours to completely restore the gas supply. “Gas supply was not suspended. However, there was a low gas pressure due to the incident which occurred in purification plant,” he told The Express Tribune.

Gas pipeline blown up

Suspected militants blew a 16-inch gas pipeline in Pirkoh area of Balochistan’s volatile Dera Bugti district, an official said . The blast suspended gas supply to the Pirkoh Purification Plant from a well, causing further cut to supply to major parts of Balochistan and other areas of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2014.