Energy crisis : Gas quota for Faisalabad is inadequate, says SNGPL MD

Hundreds take to the streets against unscheduled gas load shedding

FAISALABAD:

Scores of residents of localities near Jhang Road, including Lakkar Mandi, Partap Nagar, Saifabad, Liaqatabad and Gulfishan Mor on Monday staged a protest demonstration against unscheduled gas load shedding.

The protesters, including a large number of women and children, gathered at main Jhang-Faisalabad Road. The protesters blocked the road for traffic and chanted slogans against the SNGPL.

Saeed Sharif, a protester from Saifabad, said hundreds of complaints had been lodged with the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) authorities over low gas pressure.

He said that SNGPL officials had told them that Saifabad did not fall in the city area where gas connections were allowed. The officials said that their gas connections would be checked before gas was provided to the area.

Atifa Naseer, one of the protesters, told newsmen that her children were late to school every day because she could not prepare breakfast on time.

She said hundreds of residents of Lakkar Mandi had not received gas supply for three days.

“We have complained to the SNGPL a number of times but no one paid attention to our problems,” she said.

On being informed, a police team from Jhang Bazaar reached the scene and pacified the protesters by assuring them that their issue would be solved soon. The protesters dispersed on this assurance.

Separately, some protesters from State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali’s constituency gathered and complained about gas supply at their homes.

Members of the delegation, led by Muhammad Ismail, said that residents had also met SNGPL General Manager Amjad Mumtaz and told him about their problems.

They alleged that he had misbehaved with them.

Sher Ali assured them that action would be taken and gas supply would be restored soon. He then went to the SNGPL office and met with the general manager.

Mumtaz told The Express Tribune that the gap between demand and supply had affected Faisalabad the worst.

He said while new industrial and domestic gas connections had been provided over three years, gas quota for Faisalabad had not been enhanced.

“It is difficult to sustain gas supply in this weather,” he said. He said the situation would improve 10 days.

Commenting on his meeting with the state minister, he said that gas was being provided to industrial units according to government policy.

“I candidly told the minister about the situation. He wanted us to enhance supply pressure to his constituency but that is impossible”, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2015.