LAHORE
Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), on Friday announced that gas will decrease in the coming days and CNG stations will stay closed for five days; on October 26, 29 and 30 and on November 2 and 3.
An SNGPL official said gas supply to domestic users will be affected because pressure will decrease in various areas of the city. He said that the changed weather had raised the demand for gas and many had switched on their geysers.
He said people should use geysers and heaters as little as possible in winter.CNG closure would also result in electricity load shedding as power production would drop because of a fall in gas supply to power plants, said an official from Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO).
He said that currently the city was facing four to eight hours of closures and “If gas supply to main power plants is suspended then there will be an increase of at least two hours in electricity load shedding.”
CITIZENS FRET OVER CNG CLOSURE: Citizens expressed their concern over the closure and said that their monthly expenses would escalate as they will have to run their vehicles on petrol.
“I can manage a one-day closure of CNG but a two-day closure would burden my pocket. I spend Rs 500 per day on CNG and if I use my car on petrol instead the expenses shoot up to Rs 900,” said a businessman Rana Abid Mehmood.
“Already my business is not in a good situation because of electricity load shedding. CNG suspension will disturb my budget’s balance,” said a commuter Mobeen Malik. Commuters complained that the rickshaw fares will also rise during CNG closure, as rickshaws will rely on high priced petrol.
They said they will have to pay at least 50 to 70 percent extra fares if such a closure was observed. “Normally, rickshaw drivers charge Rs 150 but in case of a CNG closure the fares touch Rs 250,” said another commuter Asim Khan.
