Supply of gas to Oghi demanded

MANSEHRA: The residents on Friday urged the federal government to ensure the supply of natural gas to Oghi and its surrounding areas.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had launched a natural gas supply project for Oghi and the Tanawal area in 2016, with an allocation of Rs 9 billion. However, we are still deprived of this facility,” Waqar Ahmad, a traders’ leader, told reporters in Oghi.

Flanked by a group of traders and residents, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government halted the project in 2020, even though supply lines from Mansehra to Oghi had been laid.

“If the federal government allocates a small amount to lay service lines, the residents of Oghi town and its suburbs could finally benefit from natural gas,” Waqar said.

He said that the natural gas supply scheme, initiated in 2016 with Rs9 billion for Oghi and Tanawal, remains incomplete to this day.

“The residents of Oghi and nearby areas rely on firewood for domestic and commercial purposes, leading to significant deforestation and environmental degradation in the area,” he added.