Gas supply cut schedule finalised

KARACHI: The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Friday issued the schedule for stoppage of gas supply on staggered basis to industries of Sindh and Balochistan.

Five major industrial areas of Karachi will not get gas for one day a week on a staggered basis. The supply to the SITE industrial area will be halted on Mondays and Saturdays from 8 am to 8 am (24 hours), to the Landhi industrial zone on Tuesdays from 8 am to 8 am, Korangi industrial zone on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 am to 8 am, Federal B area industrial zone on Thursdays from 8 am to 8 am and North Karachi industrial zone on Fridays from 8 am to 8 am.

The gas utility started implementing the energy conservation programme on Friday and as per schedule supplies to the North Karachi industrial zone were stopped. “Since the government had informed us beforehand about the schedule, it will have low impact on industrial production. Although it will affect the industry, we expect that compliance with the SSGC schedule will reduce the intensity of the damage,” said Younus Khamisani, the outgoing chairman of the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI).

“We were prepared because we knew that our gas cut was scheduled on Friday April 30,” he added. “The industries which were operating on a 24/6 basis (or less) will resort to one-day additional closure in a week. Whereas, industries operating on 24/7 basis (round-the-clock) will voluntarily reduce gas consumption by 8 to 10 hours,” said the SSGC in a press release on Friday. Compressed natural gas (CNG) stations will observe shutdowns from Friday 12 noon to Saturday 12 noon in Sindh and Balochistan.

The SSGC has requested cooperation from all concerned in implementing the gas closure schedule in the greater national interest for diversion of gas to power plants. The SSGC this week held meetings with various trade bodies to discuss the measures needed for implementing the gas conservation programme.