Quetta protest: As the mercury plummets, so does the gas supply

Protesters block Saryab road, disrupt traffic over low gas pressure as mercury plummets.

QUETTA: With gas shortages hitting most parts of the country, it was only a matter of time that the pinch hit those areas close to the gas fields. On Wednesday, the chronic low pressure of gas forced scores of Quetta natives on to the roads, and protest against the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in the biting cold.

Saryab Road residents blocked the road that connects Quetta with the rest of Pakistan. They raised slogans against SSGC for its failure to ensure the adequate supply of natural gas for domestic consumers.

According to protestors, gas supply to Haq Abad, Chaki Shawani, Kili Bangulzai, Lor Karez and adjoining areas have been suspended for the past 30 hours and gas pressure has remained low in other parts of Quetta.

On Wednesday morning, the temperature dropped to -10 Celsius in Quetta, while it dropped to -12 Celsius in Kalat district. “The SSGC carry out gas load shedding whenever the temperature drops to sub-zero Celsius in and around Quetta,” one of the protesters claimed.

The flow of traffic on Saryab Road, the main artery that connects the provincial capital to central Balochistan and Nasirabad Division, remained disrupted for several hours as a result of the protest.

Protesters raised slogans against gas thieves. They advised SSGC disallow gas supply to factories in Punjab and stop the gas load shedding in Balochistan

The protesters claimed that less than 10 per cent of Balochistan was able to enjoy gas from Sui, compared to the rest of the country. They demanded that the government ensure adequate and smooth supply of gas to consumers for heating and cooking food during winter.