Low gas pressure cripples life in Lahore

Citizens are using compressors and pumps to increase gas pressures

LAHORE: An increase in natural gas demand following a drop in mercury level has created an acute shortage of the commodity in the provincial capital. In various areas of the metropolis, especially in congested neighbourhoods, citizens are complaining about very low pressure or suspension of gas supply.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a resident of Township, Maria Khan, highlighted that the government has increased natural gas tariffs by over 200% but it failed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of this basic fuel. She pointed out that there was no gas in stoves, especially in the morning and the evening hours.

“Women have to spend their entire days in the kitchen for cooking as the pressure in here neighbourhood is really low. I have been preparing breakfast for my school-going children on heater or microwave oven since it is impossible to prepare breakfast such low gas pressure,” she underlined.

Dropping temperature: SNGPL curtails gas supply to industries

Another citizen, Muhammad Ali said most residents of their area are buying chapattis from tandoor due to very low gas pressure. Long queues are being witnessed at tandoors and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) shops and the irony is that LPG price has also been jacked up on the pretext of high-demand, he lamented.

In several neighbourhoods, like Ichara, Rehmanpura, Wahdat Colony, Township, Chungi Amer Sidhu, residents also staged protests over the suspension of gas supply.

They shouted slogans against the government and gas utility company and demanded the government to ensure the uninterrupted supply of natural gas.

Citizens from different areas of the provincial capital also pointed out that residents of their neighbourhood have further worsened the situation by installing compressors or pumps on gas lines to increase gas pressures.

Shafique Ahmad, a resident to Abdali Park, disclosed several people are using compressors and pumps to increase gas pressures.

He highlighted that markets, like Hall Road and Brandreth Road, shopkeepers are selling specially designed pumps for this purpose in gross violation of gas utility company rules.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has been advertising against illegal use of compressors and pumps but it failed to effectively control their use.

OGRA seeks a massive 214% hike in gas prices

An SNGPL official claimed that there were no total gas blackouts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), but in some areas, consumers were facing low gas pressure, especially at the tail ends.

The gas utility company officials are trying their best to ensure availability of gas supply, especially to domestic consumers, he said, adding that to address the rising number of complaints the company has decided to curtail gas supply for bulk consumers, like industry and CNG sector.

Responding to a question, he said total gas supplies on the SNGPL network stands around 3,000 mmcfd and the gas shortfall was widened with a drop in temperature.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2019.