Hyderabad faces crisis as LPG shortage hits

Industrialists demand urgent action on LPG supply, licensing amid shop closures

KARACHI:

Industrialists in Hyderabad have urged the government to ensure the supply of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders and issue licenses for LPG stores to address the severe gas shortage caused by the Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) failure to supply gas to eateries, food streets, and domestic users.

Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) President Adeel Siddiqui emphasised the urgent need for government intervention to reopen LPG shops that were closed following a recent incident at an LPG shop. “The closure of LPG shops has caused a major crisis affecting eateries, small factories, goldsmiths, ironsmiths, and food streets,” Siddiqui told The Express Tribune. He urged the government to implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and issue licenses for LPG stores immediately, adding, “I am against the decanting of cylinders, but fresh or new cylinders from companies must be allowed.”

Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani, President of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI), expressed concerns over the crackdown on LPG shops, which has intensified over the past month. He questioned the timing and rationale behind these actions, noting that measures are often taken only after major accidents occur. Shaikhani demanded clarity on which department issued licenses to these shops and why they were allowed to operate in densely populated areas for years without intervention.

The HCSTSI president highlighted the severe impact of this crackdown on thousands of domestic consumers, including tea houses, tandoors, eateries, small hotels, restaurants, and households, which rely heavily on LPG. He stressed that with the skyrocketing prices of natural gas and a ban on new connections for over three years, LPG cylinders had become the only viable option for many.

Shaikhani stressed the importance of ensuring safe LPG distribution to prevent accidents. He called for implementing standard testing and certification processes for cylinders and restricting LPG sales to licensed distributors only. To enhance safety, he suggested using digital systems to monitor LPG distribution, training consumers on safe usage, establishing approved distribution centres in designated areas, and banning LPG shops in densely populated zones.

In his appeal to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Shaikhani urged the swift implementation of comprehensive measures to ensure safe LPG distribution. He reiterated that resolving the LPG supply issues is critical for both commercial and domestic consumers in Hyderabad. He also called for efforts to discover new gas reserves, noting that the 18th Amendment grants the province from which minerals are extracted the first right to those resources. Therefore, he asserted that the gas produced in Sindh should be prioritised for Sindh’s consumers.