Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited has refused to provide relief to the CNG consumers and has decided to continue with its gas load management plan per routine by closing CNG stations for three days, Pakistan Today learnt on Sunday.
The gas supply to half of Lahore was suspended on Saturday afternoon due to problem in Zamzama gas fields. As a result, gas supply to 80 percent CNG stations of Lahore was disturbed and the stations were closed. The consumers were expecting that the SNGPL would give them some relief by reducing load management days from three to two days but the ‘competent’ company officials denied any relief. “We will carry out load management for three days,” said a senior official of the SNGPL adding the gas supply was reduced from the fields. To a question, he said the company was already facing shortfall therefore no relief can be given. Another official said supply to domestic sector of Lahore and Kasur had been restored on Saturday night after the two hours of suspension through the alternate channel but the gas to industry would be restored on Monday evening.
The consumers coming hard on the company’s decision of not providing relief to the CNG stations said that if there had been closure on Saturday then at least the company could allow the stations to operate on Monday. “Who cares about CNG users, all they do is facilitate industrial sector, which grease the palms of SNGPL,” lamented a consumer, Habib Ahmed.