LAHORE - With a widening gap between demand and supply, gas crisis has worsened in the domestic sector of Punjab pushing consumers to come out on streets in this much cold weather.
Besides worst shortage of CNG, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has also become out of reach of the poor consumers with a huge raise in its price and 50 per cent shortfall in demand and supply.
The LPG is available in Lahore and other cities at almost Rs200 per kg and the distributors are blaming the marketing companies for charging double price from the users.
“The LPG should be available at a rate of Rs100 per kg maximum in Lahore but the marketing companies are charging double rate,” said Punjab LPG Distributors Association president Attique Khan.
The LPG demand is standing at 2500 metric ton per day against the availability of 1200 metric ton for a day. The Ogra rate is Rs92 per kg but the marketing companies are selling the liquefied petroleum gas with double rate, he held. Attique informed that LPG rate would further decrease in coming month at international market but there were no chances of any reduction in Pakistan due to the monopoly of these marketing companies.
He expected that some 7500 metric ton imported LPG would add in the system in next 36 hours which would narrow the gap between demand and supply. The continuous crisis of CNG, however, is intensifying in various cities of Punjab with every day passing.
SNGPL Managing Director Arif Hameed had already warned the domestic consumers of further difficulties in January and appealed them for efficient use of the natural resource.
On Monday, there were reports of protests in various cities of Punjab including Lahore against the shutdown of CNG in domestic limits. People including women and children and carrying kitchen utensils held a protest at Ferozepur Road, Township, Raj Garh and other locations against the shortage of gas. They were complaining that cooking food at homes had become impossible and they had to stand for long times to get food from nearer hotels and food points due to low pressure of gas and long queues at there as well.
“I’m facing severe problem to cook food for my children since last week and my husband is compelled to spend a huge amount of money for dining in the hotels,” said one of the protesting woman at Raj Garh.
Demanding from the government to resolve their problems, the protestors said that the gas shortage had created various problems in their domestic living. The areas where the gas is almost unavailable sine past week including Thokar Niaz Beg, Judicial Colony, Township, Green Town, Johar Town, Canal View, Ferozepur Road, Kot Khawaja Saad, Bagwanpura, Journalist Colony, Mozang, Mall Road, Allama Iqbal Town, Ravi Town, Shahdara and others.
There is around 1400 million cubic feet per day gas in SNGPL’s network these days against the hovering demand of 3000MMCFD. Around 300MMCD additional shortfall occurred in the system due to damage of a pipeline in Sui plant, which is expected to be repaired by today (Tuesday). The gas supply to the CNG stations and industries in Punjab was already closed but despite that the crisis has transformed into a worst shape. There are reports that the residents of Multan city have given up their patience over the continuous issue of gas shortage by staging a protest against the SNGPL.
A consistent gas cut off has been observed in various areas of Multan including Mumtazabad, Shah Rukne Alam, Guldasht Colony, Zakariya Town and Boston Town. The protests also reported in at Samundri Road in Faisalabad, Jhang, Shaikhupura and other cities of Punjab.
People have been a litany of complaints to the authorities concerned but they are dragging their feet over the matter.