Scores protest against gas outage

Demand SNGPL to take immediate steps to overcome gas crisis

FAISALABAD:

Scores of resident of Abdullahpur and nearby areas staged a protest demonstration on Friday against gas outages. They staged a sit-in at Abdullahpur Chowk leaving traffic on Canal and Jaranwala Roads suspended for hours.

They demanded that the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) take immediate steps to overcome the gas crisis. “The supply has been suspended for over three days now. SNGPL authorities have done nothing to address our problems,” Abdus Samad, one of the protesters told the media. Noor Khan, another protester, gas pressure was too low to cook food. “We often fail to cook food on time. This has made it very difficult for my family.” The protesters called off the sit-in after an SNGPL spokesperson, Navid Haider, assured them that their grievances would be addressed within the next 24 hours. “The supply to some localities has been suspended due to maintenance of main gas lines,” Haider told The Express Tribune.

“Engineers have been asked to complete the maintenance work early. Hopofully, the supply will be restored in the next 24 hours.”

Separately, SNGPL General Manager Amjad Mumtaz said he was doing his best to get Faisalabad its share of gas.

He was speaking to several businessmen during his visit to the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said a crack down would be launched on those robbing others of gas by installing compressors at the supply lines. He said depletion of gas reserves and addition of new consumers was the major reason for gas shortage.

He said the government had framed a national energy policy and a gas load management policy to overcome the crisis. “However, immediate relief is not possible. Consumers should, therefore, use gas sparingly particularly during the winter season.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2015.