KARACHI: CNG crisis in Karachi has entered its fifth day, disrupting daily life and public transport system.
Supply of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) was suspended to CNG stations five days ago which obstructed daily life routine in the provincial metropolis as public transport owners went to strike.
Small-time public transport owners are striking for the second consecutive day against the stoppage of CNG supply to service stations which has halted the public transport system in the city.
Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Tuesday night, the official supplier of gas in Sindh and Balochistan, stopped the supply to CNG stations captive power plants of all general industries amid the acute shortage of gas and low pressure in the system.
“Low pressure was affecting adequate supply to domestic and commercial sectors,” SSGC said.
SSGC officials, while acknowledging the difficulties faced the citizens, said that “all efforts were being made to ease the situation”.
“Our first priority is to provide gas to households,” an SSGC official added.
Many industrial units working in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) area have also reported a gas shortage, which has resulted in the reduction of their production.
Provincial and the federal governments have been urged by the stakeholders to look into the matter and ensure gas resumption.
Prime Minister forms committee to probe into the matter
Premier Imran Khan on Wednesday has directed to form a fact-finding committee to probe into the matter and against the managing directors (MDs) of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and SSGC for the prevalent critical situation.
Prime Minister was briefed that the two companies showed incompetence and “withheld information on demand and supply of gas”.
The committee is headed by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman Uzma Adil Khan and comprises Qazi Saleem Siddiqui, Shahid Yousaf and Imran Ahmed.
Transporters hold demo against gas supply suspension in Larkana
The members of Chandka Bus and Van Association Larkana staged a sit-in and a protest demonstration at Shaikh Zayed Morr in the city on Thursday against forcible closure of CNG Stations in Sindh due to which all kinds of traffic came to standstill and poor passengers suffered.
Speaking on the occasion, association president Zulfiqar Kalhoro, General Secretary Ali Hassan Kaheri, Aijaz Jatoi, Amin Qadri, and Hazar Khan Mugheri alleged that SSGC had imposed an indefinite CNG supply suspension in the province despite the fact that 70 per cent of gas is produced in Sindh.
“Gas supply to houses has also been subjected to prolonged worst load shedding which has crippled lives in Sindh and little kids are going to schools early morning without breakfast which will deprive the children of the province of their right to education,” they said.