The residents of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi continue to suffer a lot due to low gas pressure in the cold weather. As housewives prepare breakfast, they face low gas pressure which forces them to bring bread from tandoors and hotels and it happens almost daily. As a result the residents have started using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to cook meals while some are compelled to use firewood as fuel for cooking. On the other hand, the tandoor owners find the opportunity to overcharge the residents as people thronged to get loaves following low gas pressure.
“In our locality, we have been facing low gas pressure, making it difficult for us to perform routine work in time and sometime we send children to schools without breakfast”, Owais Amjad, resident of Fazal Town said. Parts of Rawalpindi city, particularly congested areas including Dhoke Khabba, Rehmat Town, Fazal Town-II, Chungi Number 8, Allama Iqbal Colony and Dhoke Syeddan, are facing the problem of low gas pressure. The citizens complained if the gas supply situation was worsening with the advent of winter season, during the peak winter season, what would happen with the consumers.
Last year, too, the consistent low gas pressure and frequent gas outages had caused serious problems for the people, who were unable to cook and properly heat their homes during cold weather.
The citizens urged the government and authorities concerned to take solid steps and find an immediate solution to the problem. People have also complained about wrong gas bills. They say that despite less use and non-commercial, they receive wrong bills. The CNG stations in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have also witnessed low pressure in gas supply, leading to long queues of vehicles. Open manholes a constant threat: People have demanded the authorities to cover all open manholes in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which are posing a threat to their lives. There are more than 200 open manholes and uncovered drains in Rawalpindi, which are a serious threat to the lives of its residents due to indifference of civic authorities.
Due to these open manholes, several persons, especially children have lost their lives, but the concerned authorities are least concerned to solve this issue. Apart from that, there are many incidents in which people also sustained serious injuries after falling into uncovered manholes. Such open manholes can be seen in areas like Pirwadhai, Dhoke Hassu, Saidpur Road, Asghar Mall Road, Sadiqabad, Dhoke Ratta and some other congested areas of the city. Muzammil Ahmed, a resident of Dhoke Ratta, said that there were a few street lights in his neighbourhood. He urged for the installation of enough street lights so as to secure the lives of the people as it is the longstanding demand of the people of area.
However, civic agencies like the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and others are not taking necessary measures to cover them.
Sanitary conditions
worsening in Rawalpindi: The failure of the Rawalpindi administration to improve sanitary conditions in localities under its jurisdictions can result in outbreak of an epidemic in the city. Fazal Town-II, Shah Khalid Colony, Rehmat Town and other adjoining areas could be rated as the worst as far as sanitary conditions are concerned. The residents of the Fazal Town-II especially of streets 5A and 5B are in serious trouble for so long. Small drains and gutters overflow 24hrs a day that keep the streets inundated with wastes always. Even after a brief spell of rain, the choked drains spew out filth onto the streets which increase the risk of diseases to spread. Despite making tall claims, the concerned authorities have failed to launch a cleanliness drive for removal of heaps of garbage and other waste material, which could result in outbreak of diseases.
