Civic utilities are getting quite inaccessible in Pakistan. The reason is nothing but mismanagement, and an abject sense of ad hocism. Electricity is a desired commodity in summers, and so is the case with domestic gas supplies in winters. Though gas compression and slow pace of dissemination is a common phenomenon worldwide, especially in sub-zero temperature zones, the utility’s transmission is ensured by virtue of generators that keep on galvanising the product in dire times.
The decision on the part of the Sui Southern Gas Company that gas supply to the world’s eighth largest city shall be rationed, and the consumers will have to clock their affairs accordingly is disgusting. While there is no supply or production deficiency, the failure of the corporation to ascertain its uninterrupted supply is lethargic in essence. Not much different is the case of those dwelling in the north of the country. Cooking gas venturing through pipelines has become a luxury in Peshawar, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Faisalabad and Lahore to count the big few urban centres. Likewise, pathetic is the state of affairs in rural areas, and not to talk of Balochistan which is devoid of the utility for reasons of politicisation of natural resources.
Pakistan has a serious problem when it comes to consumer rights. All utility providing companies take their customers for a ride. They are little bothered about their plight, but quite nasty in fleecing them to the core. All kinds of taxes and surcharges, as well as pilferage cost, are made to be borne by consumers, and even then the supply of utility is in thin air.
Citizens must take a stand and be aware of their rights. There is no point in lamenting over the civic crisis, and passing on the buck to men who do not literally believe in a genuine sense of representation. The Western societies, and even many Asian communities, have built a foolproof system of utility care assurance, and made it a point that services are subject to satisfaction. We can also do it, if we start questioning the very rationality behind inaction. Enough of civic nuisance.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2022.
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