Use of gas compressors goes unchecked in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi
The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) authorities have failed to check the use of compressors by hotel and ‘tandoor’ owners as well as domestic consumers, which has resulted in persistent shortage of gas in many localities of the city.
On people's complaints, the SNGPL launched a campaign in December against domestic consumers and hotel and ‘tandoor’ owners who were using compressors to get smooth gas supply, denying others this facility in the peak winter season. However, according to the claims of SNGPL officials, their staff managed to take action against only 40 consumers and their gas meters were removed. A survey by this correspondent falsified the claims of SNGPL that it has taken action against domestic as well as commercial consumers in a campaign. Contrary to the SNGPL claims, both domestic and commercial consumers are openly using compressors, which is still resulting in continuation of gas crisis in several localities, including Lalazar Colony, Tench Bhata, People’s Colony, Dheri Hassanabad, Sabzazar Colony, Dhamial, Kamalabad, Ghousia Colony, Dhoke Syedan, Arya Mohallah, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Tariqabad, Indus Road, Adiala Road, Dhoke Juma, Tahli Morri and several sectors of Islamabad as well.
People of these and other localities, while giving views, expressed their anguish over the failure of SNGPL to check the use of compressors, both at domestic and commercial level.
They said that the campaign was launched at the advent of winter. Even after two months of the drive, the gas department has failed to check the practice, which has deprived others of the facility totally.
They alleged that the campaign against hotel and ‘tandoor’ owners as well as domestic consumers was launched only in the print media otherwise no staff visited any place for stopping use of compressors.
Humayun Adil of Dheri Hassanabad alleged that in the bazaar, all hotels and ‘tandoors’ have installed compressors to get smooth supply of gas for running their business.
At Ghousia Chowk, the owners of hotels and ‘tandoors’ are getting the supply of gas through compressors. Similar situation was witnessed in other localities.
SNGPL Spokesman Shahid Akram, while defending the position of his department, said that the campaign was launched to check use of compression for gas suction and this campaign is still continuing. However, he expressed concern that action was taken against only 40 consumers in two months. He said that the SNGPL on public complaints takes action against violators, including domestic and commercial consumers. However, the SNGPL could not go and search each and every house for checking purposes as it is not a police department. "Only on public complaints, we can take legal action like removal of gas meters and impose fines." He said that during the campaign compressors installed by hotel and ‘tandoor’ owners were removed and huge fines imposed on them.