A sign outside a closed CNG station says the gas supply is suspended for the day. CNG stations across the province have been told to remain closed for another 24 hours by the SSGC. PHOTO: NNI
The CNG supply has been largely suspended across the province since last Tuesday due to low pressure in the system. In this duration, there has only been a brief respite of 12 hours on Saturday, but even then, low pressure reportedly made it difficult for pumping stations to operate.
CNG dealers and consumers had previously been notified by the SSGC that the gas supply would reopen on Wednesday evening. Previous notifications had been extending the outage by 24 hours each day, disrupting the public transportation system as well as making it difficult for owners of CNG-run vehicles to travel.
In Sindh, CNG stations threaten to reopen without permission
"We were informing customers and dealing with the long queues when we got the message that the closure has been extended for another 24 hours," said an employee at a CNG filling station. When he and his colleagues told the customers about the extension, they were met with abuse.
"We tried to reassure them but they will not trust us," he added, saying that neither the station owners nor the staff could face the anger of the public in this situation. "They line up for hours and are just told to go home," he said, empathising with the customers.
A long wait
Meanwhile, both dealers and consumers complained that the week-long suspension was a joke being played on the people of Sindh. "The province produces a major portion of gas for the country, but its rights are being denied," said Mustafa Mehranvi, a car owner standing outside a CNG station. "It is a lame excuse that there is no pressure. The gas company is deliberately compelling the people of Sindh to protest against them."
Muhammad Akram, a rickshaw driver also waiting in line, pointed out that it was the second consecutive week he was facing this problem. "I hardly managed to reach the station before being told to come back again tomorrow," he exclaimed. "It's wrong. The government should announce what it actually wants."
A bus driver, Muhammad Mushtaq, declared he would not be operating his bus on Thursday. "We can't manage our expenses like this," he stated. "They tell us to come back again the next day, knowing how much time and energy it takes to reach the station," he added.
The unavailability of CNG for over a week has badly affected the routine life of Sindh's people. Many consumers, who had been waiting patiently for hours to get their vehicles refuelled, complained that the SSGC was not issuing a clear schedule.
Improvements
According to SSGC spokespersons, the gas pressure has started to improve in the system, but the issue has not yet been completely resolved. They claimed that the company was examining the gas pressure and the filling stations would be reopened once the pressure was back to normal.
They added that the supply will be suspended till Thursday evening because uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers was the first priority, in accordance with the federal government's load management criteria.
Gas supply to CNG stations suspended for another day
An unwise decision
Commenting on the continued suspension of CNG on Wednesday evening, CNG Dealers Association leader Abdul Sami Khan told The Express Tribune that they had only been informed about it half an hour before the supply was due to recommence. "How can I inform my colleagues in such a short time? Why don't they let us and the public know in a timely way?" he asked.
"Sindh produces more gas, but the decisions are taken in Islamabad," said Khan. "This will deepen the financial crisis; it is not a wise decision by the SSGC."
He pointed out that the people whose businesses were dependent on a consistent gas supply would suffer the most. "Imagine the losses people have faced in the last seven days," he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2019.
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