Gas crisis: Escalating shortage causing extreme hardship across Hazara

Commuters and motorists suffer most as CNG stations also close

ABBOTTABAD: The worsening gas supply situation across Hazara Division is causing extreme difficulties for consumers, especially in view of the falling mercury.

Hundreds of thousands of domestic, commercial and industrial consumers are braving the worst conditions across Hazara.

While short-term measures adopted by Sui Northern Gas pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) may bring some relief for some domestic consumers, the decision to close down CNGs stations is going to exacerbate the miseries of commuters and motorists.

Consumers have been facing unscheduled loadshedding and low gas pressure in Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra for the last few days and despite complaints, the situation remained unchanged. Domestic consumers accused SNGPL authorities of having a discriminatory loadshedding policy, while the PTI’s government spokesperson and Adviser to the K-P CM on Information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani accused the federal government of deliberately reducing gas supply to K-P, and especially Hazara.

Local SNGPL officials refuted the allegation and attributed the problems to prevailing weather conditions and increased demand for gas. “The quantum of gas supply to Hazara is unchanged without any reduction. We are still getting 43 to 45 MMCF of gas daily as usual, but demand has doubled due to the cold weather,” SNGPL Regional Manger Syed Mukhtar told The Express Tribune.

When his attention was drawn towards the gas crisis, especially for domestic consumers in three districts of Hazara, he pointed to the onset of cold weather, because of which “demand had increased 100%” as consumers are using heaters and geysers more. “There would be no suspension of gas or low pressure if consumers stopped using gas heaters,” he asserted, adding that although the weather was chilly and people needed gas to keep their rooms warm, cooking and heating food should be the topmost priority and people should cooperate with each other.

To a question, Shah said the supply situation for domestic consumers was likely to improve as his department has decided to close all the CNGs in Abbottabad and Mansehra and Haripur for eight hours a day. He said a notification had been circulated across Hazara division.

Former CNG Owners Association president Hazara Pasha Khan said that there were 120 CNG stations in Hazara division and their closure would not only render hundreds of employees jobless, but would also expose commuters and motorists to problems as commuters would be fleeced by transporters.

He rejected the claim that the weather was to blame. He explained that the population and consumption in some areas had doubled and even quadrupled, while the pipelines have not been upgraded.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2017.