Shutdown of CNG stations
The reality is that now we have little choice but to look abroad to meet our energy needs.
All major highways leading into Islamabad and much of the frontier province were blocked by hordes of angry transporters, protesting yet another shutdown of CNG stations. Their anger is understandable since they rely on a steady supply of gas to earn a living, but shutting down major transport routes does nothing but deflect anger from the government and towards the transporters. The fact is that the gas crisis has been many years in the making and, short of a massive price hike to reduce demand, there are no easy short-term solutions. For years, we had been told that gas was a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly option to fuel and that it was available in abundance at home and so would not need to be imported. To convince people to make the shift, the government subsidised gas well below the market rate. We became such a gas-consuming nation that Pakistan has more CNG-equipped cars than any other country in the world. And now, surprise surprise, we are facing a gas shortage of one billion cubic feet. Yes, the government is to blame for encouraging the use of gas for so many years and then showing no interest in tapping new gas reserves but now that we are in this mess, mass protests will be futile and counterproductive.
In the longer term, the only option that is available — and it is a good one — is to start work on building regional pipelines. Turkmenistan has one of the largest gas reserves in the world and Pakistan has inked an agreement with the former Soviet state to build the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline that should be operational by 2016. This could lead to the import of as much as 10 billion cubic metres a year. The only potential problem with the TAPI pipeline is the security situation since, the proposed pipeline will run through Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan and Quetta in Pakistan. The only other alternative is to ignore US demands and finally build a pipeline that will allow us to import gas from Iran. What solution we ultimately do pursue to make up for our gas shortage, the reality is that now we have little choice but to look abroad to meet our energy needs.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.
punjab public has borne the brunt of the gas shortage in pakistan.complete cutoff of gas supply to factories in punjab,closure of CNG for 4 successive days,no gas for the food to be cooked.the govt. and its ministers should have come on tv and given explanation for treating punjab like a stepchild.