Even though all CNG stations across Sindh remained closed on Friday, people in many parts of the city faced acute shortage of gas. Citizens could not prepare their meals as there wasn’t sufficient supply of gas in the affected areas including Gulistan-e-Johar, Korangi, Malir, North Nazimabad, Soldier Bazaar, Saddar, etc. Low pressure of gas continued from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm in various parts of the city. Confirming the shortage and load shedding in the city official sources at Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) said that with the jump in demand the company was receiving complaints of lower pressure of gas from different parts of the city.
Owing to the huge gap between demands and supply of gas which has affected industrial, commercial and domestic consumers badly, the industries of the city have also agreed to discontinue gas consumption on two Sundays of December. All industries in Karachi and interior Sindh have voluntarily agreed to discontinue gas usage for 24 hours beginning at 7 am on Sunday, 18th December till 7 am on Monday, December 19. A unanimous decision in this regard was taken in a meeting chaired at the Governor House on 15th December by Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad and attended by SSGC management and office-bearers of majority of trade bodies and associations representing major industrial areas.
The voluntarily closure, sources in SSGC claim, will help ease gas shortages in the wake of an extraordinarily acute situation, and will help to ensure normal gas pressure and bring back line pack situation to normalcy for the next six days. SSGC was represented by Syed Hassan Nawab, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Operations and Shoaib Warsi, SGM (Distribution-South).
Talking to Profit, Hassan Nawab, said there was a demand of over 1300 MMCFD against the available supply of 1100MMCFD in the SSGC’s system with a shortage of over 300 MMCFD. Low pressure in gas supply was due to the high consumption of gas especially during the timing of lunch or dinner as the demand escalated during these periods. To avoid shortage of gas to the domestic consumers, he said, SSGC was going to stop gas supply to industries for two days this month in addition to the weekly scheduled closure of CNG stations.
To a question, he said, the closure of both CNG stations and Industries would help increase the line pack (the actual amount of gas in the distribution system) which has fallen from 950 mmcfd to a historical low of 750 mmcfd. To make enough gas available for domestic consumption, the company was taking all the necessary actions.
Under the acute shortage of gas, SSGC was also supplying on 80 to 82 MMCFD to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) against the previous supply of over 150 MMCFD, he said.Later on Friday, Chairman Businessmen Group and former President KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment and former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala and President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mian Abrar Ahmad attended a meeting in Islamabad on ‘Gas Load Management’. They apprised Dr Asim Hussain, Petroleum Minister about the colossal production losses owing to KESC’s 12 hours industrial load-shedding due to low gas pressure.
According to sources at KCCI, Petroleum Minister had agreed on GLMP for KESC so that Karachi’s industry runs on both gas as well as electricity supplied by KESC. GLMP for KESC will be decided by Petroleum Minister and Finance Minister. Petroleum Minister further gave assurances to maintain required gas pressure for the industries. Siraj Teli requested that in light of the decision of the said meeting the industry will remain closed on two Sundays in the month of December provided that required gas pressure to the industries shall be maintained during six working days a week.
