Lahore - Amid the worst persisting shutdown of gas in domestic sector, the SNGPL managing director has predicted the situation could further aggravate in Punjab cities in coming days.
Addressing a press conference at company head office on Saturday, Arif Hameed, MD SNGPL, appealed the consumers to ensure efficient use of gas at homes.
“The SNGPL is facing 1,600 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) shortfall. The demand is hovering around 3,000MW against the availability of 1,400MCFD in SNGPL’s network,” said the company chief, predicting the shortfall could further increase if the cold weather remained unchanged.
He told the reporters that the company faced an additional shortfall of 240MMCFD due to destruction of a 16 inch wide gas pipeline in Sui plant. He expressed his hope that 16 inch gas pipeline will be repaired by Sunday while the plant will be back in system very soon. “The company is trying hard to provide uninterrupted gas supply to the domestic consumers. We have suspended gas supply to the textile industry in addition to the already closure of CNG stations and other industry.” He, however, informed that the gas supply to those power generating units on dedicated lines was continuing.
To a question, he replied that SNGPL was providing 530MMCF gas to domestic consumers in Punjab against the need of around 900 MMCFD. He warned of disconnecting gas supply to domestic consumers using compressors for increasing the pressure of gas at homes. Arif Hammed hoped that further gas would be added in SNGPL network in coming year.
Meanwhile, domestic consumers in majority of the areas in Lahore including Gulberg, Model Town, DHA, Muslim Town, Ichra, Shadman, Samnabad, Walled City, Allama Iqbal Town, Raiwind Road and others were facing severe shutdown of gas. The situation is not different in other cities of Punjab. Cooking food has become extremely difficult at homes while the hotels and food point are also under the grip of low pressure.