KARACHI: Due to a catastrophic gas problem that has affected the entire city, home consumers have been forced to purchase pricey liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, during the frigid winter months.
Although the gas loadshedding is planned for 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., most areas of the city either receive very low pressure gas or are left without gas for the majority of the day.
Local residents believed that once winter approached, the city would inevitably experience unexpected gas load shedding. Since winter arrived in the city, the gas situation has gotten worse.
Dawn was informed by sources in the gas utility that the low pressure was mostly brought on by leaks in the distribution network, and that one of the main causes of the situation was the city’s deteriorating gas distribution infrastructure.
In order to enhance the supply to home customers, they stated that the SSGC was presently working on renovating its deteriorating gas distribution infrastructure throughout the city.
under several densely populated regions, including as North Nazimabad, North Karachi, and Lyari, significant restoration work on the 2,500km distribution network was also under progress, according to the sources.
They claimed that the replacement of outdated distribution pipelines to address the low pressure issues had an impact on the gas supply to a number of locations.
According to the sources, since the arrival of winter, the number of complaints about gas shortages at the 1199 from various sections of the city has increased.
Choosing to use LPG cylinders
According to one North Karachi resident, there hasn’t been gas in his neighborhood for a week. “Obviously, even though it costs more, switching to an LPG cylinder is the only option,” he continued.
In Khokhrapar, a densely populated area in Malir, residents go days without gas. G Area resident Muhammad Rizwan reported that for the past week, there has been no gas supply at all in his neighborhood. “It is very difficult for me to buy expensive LPG for cooking because I am a retired employee of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and my dues are still outstanding,” he stated.
A local resident claimed that the gas suction machines, which are widely utilized by consumers around the city, were useless in his area due to the gas shortage because they merely sucked out air.
On the other side, the gas company blamed low gas pressure in a number of locations on the unlawful use of suction devices.
Saddar housewife Samreen Hasan stated that she had long ago shifted to using LPG because of the ongoing gas shortage. “I simply cannot rely on the gas supply because I have two school-age children,” she stated.
Hijrat Colony resident Salman Khan claimed that the gas company has totally failed to improve the supply of gas during peak hours. He went on to say, “Even after load shedding hours, there is hardly any gas.”
Additionally, the circumstances in Clifton and Defence House Authority were the same as those in other areas of the city.
Locals claimed that the gas scarcity had become commonplace and that the majority of them had long been baking and cooking on LPG.
“My stove that is connected to the SSGC line hasn’t been used in a long time,” Clifton resident Durreshahwar remarked.
Increase in LPG sales
LPG sales also increased as a result of the severe natural gas scarcity.
Muhammad Ali Haider, the vice-chairman of the All Pakistan LPG Marketers Association, informed Dawn that there has been a notable surge in LPG sales and usage during the past week.
According to him, the entire amount of LPG needed had been about 12 tonnes, but in recent days, that amount had grown to 16 or 17 tons.
He explained the recent rise in the city’s LPG prices by stating that they fluctuated since the retail LPG industry was unregulated.
According to him, the municipal government was in charge of maintaining price control, but it was impractical because there were not enough administration personnel compared to the thousands of LPG retail stores that sold the product at the price they desired.
Concern over the continued gas problem in the city and other regions of the province was also voiced by the opposition parties and the provincial government.
“No load shedding in the franchise areas of SSGC.”
According to the gas utility spokeswoman, the annual depletion of indigenous gas resources is the reason behind the SSGC’s ongoing gas shortages.
He said that since FY 2017–18, SSGC gas supplies have decreased by 40%.
There was no gas loadshedding in SSGC’s franchise territories, especially in the household sector, the spokesperson continued.
However, he added, “a nighttime gas closure/pressure profiling from 10pm to 5am is being executed in the domestic sector as part of the gas load management strategy (as per internationally implemented practices) to maintain our line-packs for the next day’s good pressure and for managing / consuming the saved volumes of indigenous natural gas to be utilized during the peak / cooking hours.”
