Prolonged power, gas outages play on nerves of twin cities’ residents

Rawalpindi : Apart from prolonged electricity outages, now gas loadshedding, that too in the month of June has started playing on the nerves of residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as summer is at its peak and life without electricity and gas can not be imagined. But authorities concerned seem to be in a deep slumber, as Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) is observing 10 to 12 hours of power outages schedule in urban and rural areas respectively, while gas outages have also started irking the Pindiites.

One of the major problems for the Pindiites and Islooites is water shortage as Iesco disconnects the electricity supply after every hour and in extreme cases after every half an hour which disrupts the water supply through Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) tubewells.

Wasa spokesman Omar Farooq told ‘The News’ that the water supply from Khanpur Dam and Rawal Dam has been seriously affected and it was insufficient to meet the demand. "The city needs about 60 million gallons of water per day. However, it is supplied with only 30 million gallons per day.” He also said that all tub wells remain shut due to prolonged unscheduled loadshedding. It has become impossible to get water supply from Rawal Lake Filtration Plant in this situation, he said. He said we are not getting water supply from Khanpur Dam as per demand. We have failed to store water in tanks due to prolonged loadshedding, he said. He said we are only supplying 50 per cent of water from Rawal Dam to city and cantonment board areas.

Meanwhile, the residents of Rawalpindi are facing zero gas pressure in peak summer, thanks to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

Long queues of people could be seen in front of ‘tandoors’ and ‘hotels’ as they have to purchase readymade meals in absence of natural gas for the past few days.

Consumers of different areas are also facing an artificial shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for some days. The dealers are also taking full benefit of this ‘situation and creating an artificial shortage to increase the prices of commodities. The shopkeepers are selling one kilogram of LPG at Rs220 to Rs250 during the peak summer season.

The supply of natural gas to domestic consumers has vanished from the majority of localities of the city and cantonment board areas but concerned authority was only giving policy statements to cool down public anger. Hundreds of consumers were protesting in front of the SNGPL office near Soan Camp on regular basis but in vain.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Senior General Manager Mukhtar Shah as per routine giving policy statements to ‘The News’ said that we are laying pipelines in several areas therefore gas supply has been disturbed. He also said that we are trying to provide full-pressure gas to all areas in winter and summer.

The areas of Gulistan Colony, Adiala, Morgha, Jhanda, Asghar Mall, Sadiqabad/Muslim Town, Misriyal, Chakra, Tehmasabad, Bakramandi, Dhamyal, Kurri, Dhoke Kala Khan, Committee Chowk, Dhok Ratta, Dhok Mangtal, Pirwdahi, Bangash Colony, Tahli Morri, Dehri, and Lalkurti are the most affected areas where the gas crisis has surfaced even in summers.