Gas crisis has worsened across the country in general particularly in Punjab as the pressure is almost zero and women are unable to cook food for their families.
While people are decrying the low pressure across the country, the situation in Rawalpindi, Lahore and other Punjab cities is such that the domestic stoves have no gas, what to talk of low pressures, despite closure of CNG stations. Several residents said they thought of using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative but could not afford it.
In Lahore, Samnabad, Walled City, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Iqbal Town and many adjoining areas were facing acute shortage of gas.
In Rawalpindi, Khayban-e-Sir Syed, Satellite Town, Sadiqabad, Mareer, Tanch Bhatta,Chungi No 22 and other localities have no gas and people had to shift to fire wood to prepare meal. Highly enraged citizens have urged the authorities concerned to take steps for regularising the gas supply during the winter season.
Some of them told INP that industrial units were stealing gas despite ban but the SNGPL officials were deliberately ignoring them due to political pressure and payment to the officials for overlooking them. They said that this is not only causing losses of millions of rupees to the government but also depriving the domestic consumers from the much needed fuel.
Life in Quetta was also turning into a nightmare for those who mainly belonged to the lower social strata of society. A low gas pressure was also reported throughout Balochistan.
In Karachi, there is serious gas shortage in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi, SITE, Landhi, North Karachi, Lyari and other areas. Residents of these localities are forced to use woods for fuel.
According to officials, the ongoing gas crisis is due to gap between high demand and low supply.
