*Gas crisis worsens in Lahore, other Punjab cities as no relief is in sight as yet
Citizens of Lahore and other Punjab cities are reeling due to continuing gas shortage amid decreasing temperature as there’s no sign yet of the situation improving in the next couple of days as promised by the SNGPL authorities.
Citizens are facing extreme difficulties as they are compelled to spend additional money for purchasing LPG, prices of which have risen by at least 40 per cent in wake of the Sui gas shortage, and for buying food from hotels as there is little or absolutely no supply of gas in several areas of the provincial capital.
The officials of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) had earlier said that supply had been affected due to damage to a pipeline, which had resulted in a shortfall of about 1,900 million cubic feet of gas. They said that efforts were being made to restore gas supply at the earliest.
Dr Muhammad Asad, a resident of Model Town, told Pakistan Today that the gas shortage had made it difficult for his wife to cook meals at home and he had to buy a LPG cylinder to cope with the crisis.
“But buying a LPG cylinder is a very dangerous option since most households are not accustomed to using it. Moreover, LPG fillers are exploiting our plight by raising prices every day as there is no regulation or check on their illegal activities,” he said.
Shazia Naseem of Gulberg Main Market said that her household had not received any gas supply since Saturday. “The government said that it was closing down CNG filling stations for four months of winter to facilitate domestic consumers but this has proven to be a hollow claim as there has been little gas since the weather got chillier and now for the past three days we are completely without gas supply,” she said, adding that the situation was worsening with every passing day.
“My husband bought a LPG cylinder today as there was no other option left for us to cook food and heat water for bathing. But our first experience with the LPG cylinder hasn’t been very good because the flame and smoke emitting from it is blackening our cooking utensils,” she said.
Zahid Hussain, a banker and resident of Samanabad, told Pakistan Today that several people in his locality had fixed compressors in their homes which were “snatching” whatever gas was flowing in the supply lines.
“This is a serious crime but it seems the SNGPL people are not bothered about it,” he said, adding that advertisements on TV and newspapers regarding gas theft were meaningless unless the authorities were serious in punishing such people.
The continuing gas shortage has also triggered protests in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and other cities.
