Gas shortage crisis lingers on in Peshawar, other parts of KP

PESHAWAR: The lack of natural gas supply or low pressure in case of its availability has made life miserable for the people of Peshawar and other parts of the KP who have criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for failing to resolve the crisis.

A number of gas consumers in the city told The News the problem compounded as the weather got tough recently. They complained there is hardly any area in the provincial metropolis which is receiving proper natural gas supply.

The dearth of sui gas supply or low pressure of it, if it is available for some time, is a problem the people have been facing over the third consecutive year.

The SNGPL officials have been promising to resolve issue for the last almost three years but these pledges are yet to be honoured.

The most hard-hit people are domestic gas consumers. The women face problems with preparing breakfast and cooking meal which is greatly affecting domestic routines.

“Going to the office without breakfast has now become a routine. I and my son have to leave home frequently without taking breakfast as there is no gas supply in the morning. If it is available at all, the pressure is too low to prepare breakfast. Housewives face the same problem while preparing the meal,” complained a citizen, Saboor Ahmad, who lives in Zaryab Colony in Peshawar.

The gas shortage crisis has forced the people to turn to other sources of fuel such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG, coal and fuelwood. But all these alternative fuel sources are more expensive than the natural gas and unaffordable for most of the people.

Apart from domestic consumers, the gas shortage crisis has hit tandoors and eateries as well. They are using LPG and fuelwood to carry on the work which is increasing their financial cost.

A citizen, Ahmad Khan said both the KP government and the SNGPL senior officials had failed to resolve a genuine issue of the gas shortage in Peshawar and other parts of the KP which continue to linger on.

He suggested to the people to go through the previous newspapers record to see the false promises the SNGPL officials had been making in the last three years about resolving the gas shortage crisis by claiming that pipelines of larger diameter were being laid for the address the issue.

Another citizen, Ishtiaq Ahmad, said every sector had suffered under the PTI government, adding the gas shortage crisis should not be viewed separately.

He said it was strange the people in KP were facing the gas shortage crisis despite the fact that the province was producing sufficient natural gas.

He said there was an announcement by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the recent past that the KP government would use own resources to resolve the gas crisis if the federal government could not take steps for that. He asked the chief minister to take practical measures to solve the problem instead of making mere statements.